To mark World Ocean Day, clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage reveal the ‘Dirty Dozen’ of identifiable beach litter items: the 12 companies to which it has sent the most identifiable beach litter back to as part of the award winning Return To Offender campaign, for which they send marine litter back to the companies that produced them. Whilst SAS acknowledges that these companies aren’t directly responsible for dropping the litter, SAS calls them to:
- Step up ‘the anti-littering’ message on their products
- Look at using less harmful packaging to ensure products can be broken down naturally without putting wildlife at risk
- Promote recycling and/or reuse wherever appropriate
SAS’s Dirty Dozen, who are accountable for 56% of the total amount of litter returned, are being asked to recognize that immediate steps are necessary to reduce the impacts of their products and packaging, and prevent it ending up on beaches.
1. Nestle – 51
2. Coca Cola – 49
3. Walkers snacks /Frito Lays – 47
4. Kraft – 45
5. Tesco – 34
6. Mars – 22
7. Unilever – 19
8. PepsiCo – 16
9. United Biscuits – 15
10. Carlsberg – 13
11. Co-op – 10
12. Asda – 9
What is most striking and saddening is the overwhelming presence of single use product packaging in the ‘Dirty Dozen’. Nut through such marine litter campaigns, that include calling on the government to implement a National Marine Litter Strategy, Beach Clean tours and the Return To Offender we can make and are making a difference.
SAS Campaign Officer, Dom Ferris, says: “Whilst we recognize that it is not the companies themselves that drop the litter, we are calling on them to use the vast influence that they have over their consumers positively. By introducing new, less harmful packaging and doing more to make their customers aware of the impacts that littering has on the marine environment. They can help lessen the impact of their products on our precious marine environments”
