Top Ten Types of Debris Littering the Oceans, 2012

Updated February 12, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The 2012 International Coastal Cleanup involved 561,633 volunteers in a worldwide effort that removed 10.15 million pounds of garbage from our oceans.

Rank Debris items Total
number
1. Cigarettes/cigarette filters 2,117,931
2. Food wrappers/containers 1,140,222
3. Beverage bottles (plastic) 1,065,171
4. Plastic bags 1,019,902
5. Caps, lids 958,893
6. Cups/plates/forks/
knives/spoons
692,767
7. Straws/stirrers 611,048
8. Beverage bottles (glass) 521,730
9. Beverage cans 339,875
10. Paper bags 298,332
Source: The Ocean Conservancy. Web: www.oceanconservancy.org .

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