Plastic pollution: 2021 the worst year for marine litter in Northern Ireland
Experts at the environmental charity say 2021 will be the worst year for marine litter in Northern Ireland since records began in 2012. 80% of waste found on Northern Ireland beaches is single-use plastic such as food and drink containers.Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (KNIB), an environmental charity funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), conducted four surveys of Northern Ireland beaches last year, collecting information on litter on beaches in the area and The Marine Debris Report was prepared.
The report looked at 12 reference beaches around Northern Ireland and found an average of 760 items per 100 metres, about eight pieces of litter per step. Short lines, ropes, and 1,012 heavy gloves, the most common of which were fishing gear, were also found on all beaches. The amount of trash in 2021 doubled from 2020, with the increase partly due to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, winter storms and less time for people to clean up.
