The Clean Earth Trust is proud to release its fourth Annual Marine Litter Report covering the 2024 calendar year. It analyses data collected during beach cleans carried out by schools, businesses, Duke of Edinburgh participants, and individuals.
Over the course of the year, 15,373 items were removed from Guernsey’s coastline – an average of 211 items per beach clean. This year, 387 volunteers gave their time, clocking 462 volunteer hours across 26 beaches. While the total number of items collected has declined year on year, the number of items found per volunteer hour is increasing, indicating that marine litter is a growing problem.
Plastic remains the most common material polluting Guernsey’s shores, making up 82% of all items found. One concerning trend is the high levels of cigarette butts, which contain plastic in the form of cellulose and numerous toxins, which can be fatal to wildlife. On average, 33 cigarette butts were collected per beach clean.
“We believe the cumulative publication of data in our Marine Litter Reports will continue to raise public awareness of the need to minimise waste and to dispose of it responsibly to reduce its adverse impact on our vulnerable marine ecosystem.” Andrew Munro, Chariman, The Clean Earth Trust.
“The work done by our wonderful volunteers to protect our marine environment is reflected in our 2024 report”, adds Paul Bugden, Policy Officer of The Clean Earth Trust, “every beach clean conducted adds to the valuable data that can help to inform policy change on the island”.
Over the past year, The Clean Earth Trust has continued to grow its partnerships and outreach. Working with organisations, such as Healthcare Group and Guernsey Mind, the Trust has promoted beach cleaning not only as a means of protecting the environment but also as a positive activity for mental and physical wellbeing.
The full 2024 Marine Litter Report includes a breakdown of types of waste found, information on the impacts of marine litter on the environment, the health benefits of beach cleaning, guest contributions, and updates on the Fill a Fish Project and the Trust’s policy objectives.
Do you want to contribute to the 2025 Marine Litter Report?
If you want to get involved, join one our public beach cleans, host a corporate beach clean, or volunteer as part of your DofE. Dates and locations for our public beach cleans can be found on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Get in touch at hello@cleanearthtrust.org.