Next time you visit a beach, take a closer look at the tideline. What you'll find might surprise you — rope fragments, bottle caps, fishing net offcuts, foam packaging, and plastic film that has travelled hundreds of miles before washing ashore. This is the reality of marine plastic pollution on UK beaches, and it's something we encounter on every single clean-up we run.
What We Find on Our Beach Cleans
These two short clips were filmed during Odyssey Innovation beach clean-ups — raw, unedited footage of what's actually out there on our shores.
Why It Matters
The plastic you see on the surface is only a fraction of what's actually there. Research suggests that 70–80% of marine plastic sinks, settling on the seabed where it breaks down into microplastics that enter the food chain — and ultimately, our plates. What washes ashore is the visible tip of a much larger, invisible problem.
An estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. Once there, it can persist for up to 450 years. The good news? Every piece recovered during a beach clean is a piece that won't break down further — and through Odyssey Innovation's Net Regeneration Scheme, much of it gets a second life as a new product.
Get Involved
You don't need specialist equipment or training to make a difference. Join our Paddle for Plastic campaign, organise a local beach clean, or simply pick up what you find next time you're at the coast.
👉 Get in touch to find out about upcoming clean-up events near you, or explore our recycled marine plastic products — made from the very waste we recover.