Roughly 3.4 million waste items were collected in the United States during the 2022 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC). Cigarette butts topped the list of most common waste items found, with more than 540,000 units collected. Plastic bottle caps were the second most collected waste item, followed by food wrappers.
Which beaches in the U.S. are the most littered?
With the longest coastline across the contiguous United States, Florida featured the largest number of waste items found during the 2022 ICC. In September that year, a total of 25,541 volunteers collected nearly 1.4 million items in the southeastern state. This was followed by California, where the number of waste items collected neared 538,000. Overall, the United States accounted for more than 20 percent of the total litter found during the 2022 ICC worldwide.
The impact of ocean littering
As one of the largest plastic consumers worldwide, the U.S. coastal population generates millions of tons of mismanaged waste every year through littering and illegal dumping. Oftentimes, this plastic waste ends up in oceans, where it can threaten marine environments, interfere with navigational safety, or lead to economic losses in fishing and maritime sectors. Plastic bottles, bags, and food wrappers are some of the most common types of litter found in shorelines and nearshore waters worldwide.
Most common waste items found along beaches in the United States in 2022
Characteristic
Number of items collected
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Exclusive Premium Statistic
To access all Premium Statistics, you need a paid Statista Account
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Ocean Conservancy. (August 25, 2023). Most common waste items found along beaches in the United States in 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228584/waste-items-found-along-coast-united-states/
Ocean Conservancy. "Most common waste items found along beaches in the United States in 2022." Chart. August 25, 2023. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228584/waste-items-found-along-coast-united-states/
Ocean Conservancy. (2023). Most common waste items found along beaches in the United States in 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228584/waste-items-found-along-coast-united-states/
Ocean Conservancy. "Most Common Waste Items Found along Beaches in The United States in 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 25 Aug 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228584/waste-items-found-along-coast-united-states/
Ocean Conservancy, Most common waste items found along beaches in the United States in 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228584/waste-items-found-along-coast-united-states/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
Most common waste items found along beaches in the United States in 2022 [Graph], Ocean Conservancy, August 25, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228584/waste-items-found-along-coast-united-states/