Nearly 40,000 pieces of litter found on Guernsey shoreline

A new report provides a snapshot of the litter found on Guernsey's beaches

Nearly 40,000 pieces of litter were found on Guernsey's beaches over a year, a charity has said.

The Clean Earth Trust said findings from its 2022 marine litter report would bolster its campaign to ban single-use plastics.

The report also recorded more than 10,000 cigarette butts were found by volunteers across 38 beaches and bays.

A charity spokesman said: "Over a thousand pieces of litter were found per mile of coastline."

Of these items, 66% were plastic, highlighting the "importance of reducing our plastic consumption", it said.

It added the 2022 survey provided a "snapshot of waste found on Guernsey's beaches" - but many litter pickers outside the charity would not have recorded their findings.

The trust said it would use the data to support its campaign to ban the supply of specific single-use plastic products, including plastic cutlery, plates, straws and cotton bud sticks.

Plastic carrier bags also feature in the proposed ban, which has been presented to the President of the Environment and Infrastructure Committee.

Olivia Bennett, charity coordinator, said: "The report for 2022 highlights the importance of looking after our natural environment and picking up litter where you can, whether it is three pieces or hundreds of items, it all makes a difference."

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