Items Polluting Our Oceans

The 10 Most Common Pollutants in Our Oceans – And Why They Matter

With a global ocean clean-up effort scheduled for June 15–16, volunteers and environmental groups around the world are preparing to roll up their sleeves and tackle marine pollution head-on. These clean-up efforts, coordinated by NGOs worldwide, have already mobilized millions of people and covered tens of thousands of miles of coastline in recent years.

But they do more than just pick up trash—they give us a window into what’s really polluting our oceans, and how the items we use every day contribute to this growing crisis.

Thanks to data from groups like Ocean Conservancy, we now have a clear picture of the top 10 most common items found during beach and ocean clean-ups—and five of them are plastic products.

Let’s break down the worst offenders:

1. Cigarette Butts

Topping the list is a surprising culprit: cigarettes. In the 2022 International Coastal Cleanup, more than 1.8 million cigarette butts were collected.

These filters often wash through storm drains into waterways, where marine animals and birds mistake them for food. Cigarette butts are filled with toxic chemicals that can poison wildlife and contaminate water sources.

2. Plastic Beverage Bottles

Next on the list: plastic bottles. With over 1 million sold every minute globally, it’s no wonder they’re a major source of pollution.

In 2022 alone, volunteers picked up 1,175,045 plastic beverage bottles. Many of these bottles are not properly recycled and end up floating in the ocean—or breaking down into microplastics that infiltrate marine food chains.

Worse still, research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation warns that by 2050, plastic in the ocean could outweigh fish by mass.

3. Food Wrappers and Containers

Fast food might be convenient—but its packaging is a massive ocean polluter. Nearly 1 million food wrappers and containers were found during the 2022 clean-up.

These items are typically made of non-biodegradable plastic that accumulates on the seafloor, posing deadly risks to fish, turtles, and seabirds that mistake them for food.

4. Plastic Bottle Caps

844,375 plastic bottle caps were retrieved in just one clean-up event. Despite their small size, these items are dangerous: sea animals can easily swallow them, leading to blockages, internal injuries, or death.

5. Plastic Bags

Despite global movements to ban or reduce plastic bags, they still clog oceans worldwide. Sea animals often become entangled or suffocate from ingesting them.

Over 1 million plastic bags were recovered in the last major clean-up—proof that bans alone aren’t enough if habits don’t change.

6. Cups, Plates & Cutlery

Disposable utensils are another major offender. In 2022, 692,767 items of cutlery, cups, and plates were collected.

These sharp, durable plastics can linger in the ocean for centuries, causing injuries to marine life. Some innovative solutions are emerging, like biodegradable or edible cutlery—but they’ve yet to reach widespread use.

7. Plastic Straws and Stirrers

Plastic straws have become a symbol of the plastic crisis—and with good reason. Even as many countries phase them out, over 400,000 straws and stirrers were still found during a single clean-up.

These thin plastics are particularly dangerous for marine animals like sea turtles, who often ingest them by mistake.

8. Glass Beverage Bottles

While not as prevalent as plastic, glass bottles are a serious concern. In 2018, 521,730 glass bottles were retrieved from oceans and coastlines.

Glass doesn’t degrade—it just breaks into sharp fragments or microscopic particles, which can injure wildlife and potentially enter the food chain, according to a 2022 ScienceDirect study.

9. Beverage Cans

Metal beverage cans are yet another waste stream cluttering our oceans. In 2018, clean-up teams recovered 339,875 cans from beaches and waters.

While recyclable, cans often never make it to recycling plants. Their jagged edges also pose injury risks to marine species.

10. Paper Bags

You might think paper bags are the eco-friendly choice—but the reality is more complex. Though they decompose faster than plastic, paper bag production uses four times more energy and causes 50 times more water pollution, according to a Washington Post analysis.

In clean-up efforts, paper bags were found polluting the coasts—reminding us that “green” alternatives still have an environmental cost.

What This Means for Us

Every item on this list has something in common: they’re all disposable. Most were used just once before being discarded—and now they’re polluting some of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet.

The data from clean-ups shows that our everyday habits matter, and so do the choices we make as consumers. We can all help reduce ocean waste by:

• Cutting back on single-use plastics

• Using refillable bottles and containers

• Properly recycling what we can

• Supporting policies and businesses that prioritize sustainable packaging

And if you’re able, join a local clean-up this June 15–16 to be part of the solution. One piece of trash at a time, we can help restore our oceans.