Top Ten Types of Debris Littering the Oceans, 2013

Updated February 12, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The 2013 International Coastal Cleanup involved 648,015 volunteers in a worldwide effort that removed 12.33 million pounds of garbage from our oceans.

Rank Debris items Total
number
1. Cigarettes/cigarette filters 2,043,470
2. Food wrappers/containers 1,685,422
3. Beverage bottles (plastic) 940,170
4. Caps, lids 847,972
5. Straws/stirrers 555,007
6. Plastic grocery bags 441,493
7. Beverage bottles (glass) 394,796
8. Other plastic bags 389,088
9. Paper bags 368,746
10. Beverage cans 339,170
Source: The Ocean Conservancy. Web: www.oceanconservancy.org .

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