Top Ten Types of Debris Littering the Oceans
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
The 2003 International Coastal Cleanup enlisted more than 450,000 people in 91 countries in an effort that removed 7.5 million pounds of garbage from our oceans.
| Rank | Debris items | Total number | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cigarettes/cigarette filters | 1,922,830 | 29.5% |
| 2. | Food wrappers/containers | 632,161 | 9.7 |
| 3. | Caps/lids | 539,832 | 8.3 |
| 4. | Beverage bottles (plastic), 2 liters or less | 438,763 | 6.7 |
| 5. | Bags | 354,294 | 5.4 |
| 6. | Beverage bottles (glass) | 328,239 | 5.0 |
| 7. | Cups/plates/forks/ knives/spoons | 317,447 | 4.9% |
| 8. | Beverage cans | 314,738 | 4.8 |
| 9. | Straws/stirrers | 273,105 | 4.2 |
| 10. | Tobacco packaging/wrappers | 132,402 | 2.0 |
| Totals | 5,253,811 | 80.5 |
Source: The Ocean Conservancy. Web: www.oceanconservancy.org .
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