Great beach blight: Seals and dolphins under threat from rising tide of dumped plastic bags and bottles

By SEAN POULTER

Last updated at 00:01 10 April 2008

A shocking tide of plastic litter is blighting British beaches and putting wildlife at risk.

The amount of rubbish found in a study of more than 350 popular coastal spots has reached record levels.

The number of plastic bags found has increased by 54 per cent in a decade and by 11.6 per cent in just one year, according to a survey conducted by the Marine Conservation Society.

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Its Beachwatch report for 2007 shows that plastic litter has increased by a staggering 126 per cent since it first surveyed the coast in 1994.

Looking at the last ten years, the number of plastic bottles found per beach has risen by 67 per cent, plastic bags by 54 per cent and cigarette butts 44 per cent.

The MCS says the damaging effects go way beyond turning beauty spots into rubbish dumps.

Plastic litter, including the throwaway bags handed out in their billions by the big supermarkets, is a real threat to sea life.

The findings of the Beachwatch report are further vindication of the Daily Mail's "Banish the Bags" campaign supporting the replacement of single-use throwaway carriers with "bags for life".

It achieved remarkable success this year, culminating in Chancellor Alistair Darling's Budget announcement that stores will be forced to charge for bags if they fail to act.

During the MCS survey, more than 4,000 volunteers collected tons of litter during a survey of 354 beaches.

The team checked out 105 miles of coast and removed more than 346,000 items.

Some 7,504 plastic bags were found during Beachwatch 2007, at an average density of 44.5 items per kilometre.

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This is up from 39.9 in 2006 and 28.9 in 1997. MCS litter projects coordinator Emma Snowden described the findings of its survey as "truly shocking".

She said: "The plastic litter problem needs to be tackled at all levels, from grass roots through to Government, while industry and retail sectors must acknowledge the need to reduce plastic-bag use and packaging.

"Plastics are of particular concern as they could persist in the marine environment for centuries with fatal consequences for marine wildlife."

More than 170 species including seabirds, turtles and whales have been recorded mistaking marine litter for food resulting in starvation, poisoning and fatal stomach blockages.

Plastic packaging and discarded fishing nets injure, entangle and drown marine wildlife including seals and dolphins.

Miss Snowden said: "Everyone can help prevent some of the most common plastic items littering our beaches and seas by reducing their use.

"By taking simple steps such as taking reusable bags to the supermarket, re-filling plastic bottles with tap water and responsibly disposing of litter including cigarette butts, we can all make a difference."

Conservative environment spokesman Peter Ainsworth said: "More parts of the UK now have an unacceptable amount of litter and more of our beaches are strewn with plastic bottles and bags.

"It's becoming impossible to walk along a stretch of beach without seeing the eyesore of plastic waste which not only causes environmental damage but endangers our wildlife.

"Some of the waste may not have been generated in Britain but it's our responsibility to tidy it up."

One firm trying to turn the tide is Marks & Spencer, which is to start charging 5p for all throwaway food carrier bags in 600 stores from the beginning of May following the success of trials in Northern Ireland and the South West.

The store is giving away around 20million "bags for life" to all shoppers buying food in April to help them adjust to the change.