Plastic food and drink packaging ‘world’s most common coastal litter’
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- One Earth published a global analysis of coastal litter based on 5,300 surveys from 355 studies covering 94 countries and extrapolating to 18 more.
- Richard Thompson said food‑grade plastic wrappers and caps appear in 93% of surveyed coastlines, outpacing plastic bags (found in 39% of countries) and cigarettes (38%).
- Tamara Galloway warned that economic models treat many plastics as disposable, reinforcing the prevalence of single‑use items on beaches.
- UN environment programme faces funding uncertainty as Norway reviews its support, and the treaty chair stepped down amid alleged pressure, delaying the next round of plastic‑pollution talks to late 2026 or 2027.
Why it matters: Coastal communities and tourism operators lose revenue as litter degrades beaches; governments can target waste‑reduction policies to cut the 93% prevalence of food‑grade plastics, easing cleanup costs and protecting marine ecosystems.
