The types and sources
The types and sources
Coastal litter is usually grouped into eight main material types, but the most commonly found items are made of plastic.
The groups are:
- Plastic
- Glass
- Metal
- Cloth
- Paper
- Polystyrene
- Rubber
- Wood
A separate category, sewage related debris, defines a range of items made from different material types which enter the marine environment from our sewer network.
There are four main sources of coastal and marine litter:
- People (80% of coastal and marine litter comes from land - either dropped in cities, towns, rural areas or at the beach - being blown or entering our water ways via drainage systems, ultimately ending up in the marine environment).
- The fishing industry
- The shipping industry
- The sewage network
Clean Up Scotland
Find out more about our national campaign Clean Up Scotland and how you can get involved in a beach clean.
