Litter in Guernsey waters mostly plastic - report

Data from Guernsey beaches was collected from 1,250 hours of volunteers' work

More than three-quarters of litter found in Guernsey's waters during an annual survey was plastic, a report has found.

In its 2023 marine litter report to gather information about pollution, the Clean Earth Trust said 27,969 pieces of rubbish weighing more than 600kg (1,320lbs) were collected from 40 beaches, with 80% being some form of plastic.

Hard plastic was the most common find, with about 8,210 items reported, followed by cigarette butts (2,550), which would equate to £178,500 in littering fines; plastic food wrappers (1,972), small plastic pieces (1,532), and rope pieces (1,354).

However, it is a decrease, with the 2022 report saying nearly 40,000 pieces of litter were found.

The trust said an average of 168 pieces of rubbish were found in each survey led by volunteers, with more than half of the items being of unknown origin.

Trust beach clean team lead Fern Nicholson said: "We encourage everyone to do their part by minimising waste, and picking up litter whenever and wherever you can."

Andrew Munro, a trustee of Clean Earth, said that, while marine litter was still "a significant issue" for local beaches, the report showed the importance of "ongoing community efforts to manage and reduce waste".