Volunteers collect nearly 900 pieces of litter from small stretch of Dumfries and Galloway coastline
The Marine Conservation Society has revealed volunteers in Scotland picked up an average of 204 litter items for every 100m of beach cleaned in 2024.
Nearly 900 pieces of litter were collected from a small stretch of Dumfries and Galloway coastline.
The Marine Conservation Society has revealed that last year, volunteers in Scotland picked up an average of 204 litter items for every 100m of beach cleaned.
And in Dumfries and Galloway, nine volunteers cleaning a stretch of beach at RSPB Mershead collected and recorded 879 pieces of litter along a 100m stretch.
The charity's State of Our Beaches report for 2024 shows volunteers across the UK picking up more than three quarters of a million pieces of litter last year – an average of 170 items per 100 metres of coastline.
The Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch manager, Lizzie Price, said: 'Thanks to more than 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.'
The report's findings were the subject of a Scottish Parliament debate at Holyrood.
Galloway and West Dumfries MSP, Finlay Carson, said: 'I know that much of that litter comes straight from the A75 which winds its way along the Solway coast for much of its length.
'This is not a problem we can clean our way out of. While volunteer efforts are vital, we must also adopt bold policy measures – such as embracing a circular economy and phasing out single-use plastic items like wet wipes, cotton buds, cutlery and straws.
'The Marine Conservation Society has rightly called on all UK governments, including the Scottish Government, to work closely with stakeholders to tackle this crisis head-on.
'This is not an insurmountable challenge but it will require a serious shift in public attitudes, robust policy interventions, and continued support for the volunteers and organisations working tirelessly to protect our coastlines.'
• The Marine Conservation Society is keen for people to organise more beach cleans along the Dumfries and Galloway coast.
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