Top Ten Types of Debris Littering the Oceans

Updated February 12, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The 2011 International Coastal Cleanup almost 600,000 people in a worldwide effort that removed 9.18 million pounds of garbage from our oceans.

Rank Debris items Total
number
1. Cigarettes/cigarette filters 1,910,777
2. Caps/lids 1,131,647
3. Beverage bottles (plastic),
2 liters or less
1,055,629
4. Plastic bags 969,244
5. Food wrappers/containers 940,277
6. Cups/plates/forks/
knives/spoons
707,171
7. Glass beverage bottles 486,967
8. Straws/stirrers 468,161
9. Beverage cans 422,816
10. Paper bags 412,879
Source: The Ocean Conservancy. Web: www.oceanconservancy.org .

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