Over 30,000 items were found on Guernsey’s shores in 2025, according to The Clean Earth Trust’s fifth annual Marine Litter Report.
The Clean Earth Trust, a local charity whose aim is to limit human impact on the environment, has released the latest findings from The Beach Clean Project. Launched in 2021, the project engages the public in beach cleaning to contribute valuable data to a long-term citizen science initiative.
In 2025, 969 volunteers conducted beach cleans at 25 different locations around the island, resulting in 1,381 volunteer hours. Key data points from the report include:
- 30,156 items were collected and logged.
- 45.8% of items were estimated to be from a public source.
- 77.6% of all marine litter found was plastic.
- 7,126 butts were collected, representing a potential £498,820 in littering fines.
- An average of 1,005 items were found per mile of coastline
The findings indicate that despite the efforts of the trust and individuals who regularly pick up litter, the quantity of waste found is not materially decreasing year on year. 30,156 items collected does not include other individuals who beach clean, this number is simply what is logged onto our online form, the true amount of litter on our coastline will be significantly higher than this number.
The items collected are logged into an online survey which the public can contribute to directly. As a citizen science project, the primary aim is to involve the community in simple but meaningful data collection that informs the annual report.
The Clean Earth Trust currently facilitates:
- Bi-weekly public beach cleans.
- Support for DofE students completing their volunteering requirements.
- Monthly wellbeing beach cleans in collaboration with Guernsey Mind and Healthcare Group.
The Marine Litter Report 2025 data suggests there is no room for complacency in tackling the island’s marine litter problem. The public is encouraged to read the full report for guest contributions, detailed data breakdowns, and information on how to get involved in future cleans.