Discarded bottles and cans were found on an ‘alarming’ 99 per cent of Welsh beaches during 2024, while plastic litter across UK beaches increased by almost 10 per cent, an annual survey has found, with calls for a deposit return scheme to be introduced swiftly to tackle the problem.

The Marine Conservation Society, the UK’s leading ocean membership charity, in its annual report, State of our Beaches 2024, has called for urgent action to be taken to reduce beach pollution following what it called ‘alarming’ new data collected by their beach clean volunteers as part of the Beachwatch programme.

The report shows that ‘drinks-related litter’ was found on 99 per cent of Welsh beaches, with glass bottles present on almost half (49 per cent) of Welsh beaches surveyed.

The charity is calling on the Welsh Government to promptly introduce a planned Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) that includes glass in a bid to lessen the problem.

The proposed DRS will see consumers pay a small deposit on top of the price of a drink, which you get back when you return the empty container to a designated collection point.

UK-wide, the charity found that plastic litter increased by 9.5 per cent from the previous year.

In Wales, 119 surveys were recorded in 2024, an increase of eight per cent from the previous year.

A total of 1,073 volunteers participated in the charity’s beach clean programme, gathering and recording all litter items found along 100-metre stretches of beach.

Volunteers in Wales found an average of 120 litter items for every 100 metres of surveyed beaches - up four per cent from the previous year, suggesting that despite ongoing efforts, the issue of beach pollution still persists.

The report said that, in Wales, volunteer surveys revealed an average of 10 drinks-related litter items, such as cans, plastic and glass bottles, were found per 100-metre stretch of beach with drinks-related litter present on 99 per cent of beaches surveyed.

The Marine Conservation Society said it is calling for a Deposit Return Scheme in Wales to align with the rest of the UK, and for it to include glass.

Elise Lavender, Parliamentary Affairs Officer for Wales at the Marine Conservation Society said: “We support the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme in Wales that includes glass, and allows reuse.

“We are calling on the Welsh Government to implement this as close as possible to the October 2027 date for the UK-wide scheme.

“Bringing this forward will help to ensure a smoother transition, improve recycling efforts, and contribute to a more sustainable future for Wales.”

A total of 175 glass bottles were collected by volunteers across beaches in Wales, and were recorded on almost half (49 per cent) of cleans.

The charity’s data shows that the presence of glass litter on beaches is steadily increasing, with 2024 marking the ninth highest year since records began 31 years ago.

The charity said that glass litter on beaches “poses a significant threat to marine life and beach goers alike, as sharp edges can cause serious injuries.”

“With drinks-related litter present on nearly every clean, along with glass found on almost half, shows that this remains a serious issue,” the charity said.

“The beach clean data reinforces the urgent need for a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) inclusive of glass to be introduced in Wales to help reduce beach litter by moving towards a society of reuse, refill and repair.”

The DRS scheme aims to promote recycling and reduce litter, with proven success shown in other countries around the world, such as Finland, Lithuania and Sweden.

Ireland’s implementation of a DRS last year has had a significant impact, with the annual Coastwatch survey reporting over an 80 per cent reduction in drinks-related litter per kilometre of beach, highlighting the urgent need for a similar system in Wales.

While England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are progressing with a UK-wide DRS set to launch in October 2027, Wales has opted to introduce its own version, which will also include glass containers.

In November 2024, the Welsh Government announced its decision to withdraw from the UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme and implement its own version.

This move came after challenges related to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, which governs trade between the UK nations.

The Welsh Government had previously raised concerns that the UK-wide scheme does not align with their recycling objectives, particularly in terms of including glass containers within the scheme.

The Welsh Government has begun talks with environmental groups, businesses and local authorities over the planned scheme, with a formal public consultation on the DRS scheduled to begin in May.

The call for the DRS to be introduced comes as a new poll shows the environment remains a top priority for Welsh voters despite a growing worldwide clamour to scrap green policies.

Some 72 percent of those polled in Wales said protecting the Welsh countryside, beaches and waterways from the scourge of litter via increased recycling was a ‘top political priority.’

Campaigners say delivering effective environmental policy is key to keeping Wales’s beautiful landscape free of litter for this and generations to come.

The poll also revealed 56 percent of Welsh voters approve of the Welsh Government’s record on recycling.

The poll of 1,100 adults in Wales was conducted between 7 and 9 March by Redfield and Wilton Strategies on behalf of Alupro.

Across the UK, the report shows volunteers collected and recorded a staggering three quarters of a million (764,451) pieces of litter across the UK, averaging 170 items per 100 metres of coastline.

The results from the charity’s beach cleaning programme shows that almost two pieces of litter (1.7), were found on every metre of surveyed UK beaches.

46 per cent of litter is from public sources; household litter washing its way into our seas via rivers, drainage and sewage outlets, or blown or dropped onto our coastline.

The data from the surveys contributes to the charity’s dataset of over 30-years, allowing them to identify common litter items, sources and trends, and use this evidence to campaign for cleaner and healthier seas.

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Thanks to over 15,000 volunteers last year, the data from our beach cleans is clear: plastic pollution remains a huge problem for our marine environment.

“We urgently need more policies to reduce single-use plastics and ensure better waste management.

“Everyone has a role to play in protecting our oceans, and we urge the public to support stronger action against plastic waste, as well as cut down plastic from their everyday use.”

Plastic fragments topped the list of most common litter items, followed by single-use plastic packets—including crisp, sweet, and sandwich wrappers.

Other problematic items included bottle caps and lids and string and cord, which pose serious threats to marine life.

The report said it is “not clear why there is such an increase in plastic litter this year, but plastic has shown an increasing trend since the charity’s records began 31 years ago.”

Annual fluctuations show the lowest amount of plastic was found in 1994, and the highest in 2012.

“Plastics endanger marine life through ingestion, entanglement and toxic contamination,” the charity said.

“Seabirds, seals, and fish often mistake plastic for food, leading to internal injuries, starvation, and even death.

“Microplastics - tiny plastic particles that come from broken-down plastics - are now present in the ocean and food chain, posing a long-term threat to both wildlife and human health.”

The charity is calling for urgent policy changes to tackle the issue at its source, including stronger legislation to curb the use of single-use plastics.

Catherine Gemmell, Policy and Advocacy Manager at the Marine Conservation Society said: “The findings highlight the persistent problem of plastic pollution, and the need for a circular economy in which consumers have more options and access to use refillable and reusable products.

“We need more policies by the UK Government, and incentives for businesses, to cut down on the single-use plastic that we’re producing.”

Among the most frequently recorded waste were plastic caps and lids, found on 88 per cent of beaches, and plastic bottles and containers, which appeared on 71 per cent of surveyed sites.

The latest survey continued a trend of seeing fewer carrier bags on beaches since the introduction of carrier bag charges.

In October 2011 Wales became the first UK country to introduce a charge for single use carrier bags, while Scotland followed suit in 2014 and England in 2015.

The report said: “Since the introduction of carrier bag charges, we have seen a really positive difference on our coastline, with data gathered by volunteers showing an 80 per cent decrease of plastic carrier bags found on our beaches.

“This highlights the power of policies and behaviour change in reducing our single-use plastic consumption.”

Beachwatch data has already been used by governments across the UK as evidence to introduce litter reducing policy - such as the carrier bag charges and bans on certain single-use plastics, such as straws, cutlery, plates and bowls, and the recent UK-wide commitment to ban plastic wet wipes.

“Our data shows that these policies work to reduce plastic pollution on our beaches,” the report said.

“We now need UK governments to accelerate work to introduce more circular economy solutions, such as deposit return schemes, and support for a shift to reuse and refill.”

Overall during 2024, 15,168 Marine Conservation Society volunteers got involved in beach cleans, removing 764,451 litter items from the UK coast.

92 miles of beach were cleaned across the UK and Channel Islands, with 17 tonnes of litter removed from beaches.

Volunteers spent 24,407 hours cleaning and recording litter on beaches for the annual survey.

Inland volunteers also took part in the Source to Sea Litter Quest,, removing 13,326 items from towns, park and rivers to prevent them ending up on the coast.

Plastic accounted for 72 per cent of all recorded litter items in that project, with 91 per cent of cleans UK-wide finding plastic bottles or lids.

Single-use plastics made up four of the top five items found, while 80 per cent of cleans found glass bottles.

Inland volunteers collected 417 bags of litter weighing 1,404kg.

The charity said: “In 2024, we received more litter surveys than ever before.

“It’s wonderful to see the ever-increasing passion and support for our Beachwatch programme to make our coasts cleaner, healthier and safer for everyone.”

For the last 10 years players of People’s Postcode Lottery have helped fund the Marine Conservation Society’s beach cleaning programme.

Laura Chow, Head of Charities at the People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “Beach cleans are about more than just removing litter.

“The information collected by Marine Conservation Society volunteers contributes towards valuable datasets identifying pollution sources and trends over time so we can all take action to reduce marine pollution and protect our seas.

“I'm delighted funding raised by players of Postcode Lottery is supporting beach cleans, where every piece of litter collected and recorded brings us a step closer to healthier oceans.”

The Marine Conservation Society is the UK’s leading ocean membership charity, working towards cleaner, better-protected, healthier seas.

The charity highlights the importance of our ocean, and the life within it, through working with governments, communities, and industry to take action to restore and protect the marine environment.

It continues to campaign for cleaner seas and encourages individuals to take part in beach cleans, reduce their plastic use, and support policy changes aimed at reducing plastic pollution.

The charity’s beach cleans and litter surveys happen all year round, including later this year when the annual September Great British Beach Clean takes place.

Thousands of people across the UK will head to the coast to take part in the event taking place this year between Friday, 19 and Sunday, 28 September.

More information on how to get involved in a Marine Conservation Society beach clean, or organise your own, can be found on the charity’s website.