The six most common branded items dumped as litter in the UK have been revealed by a new study.
The new report by Planet Patrol was based on nearly 300,000 pieces of litter collected by volunteers over the last six years.
Coca-Cola proved to be the worst offender every year from 2019 to 2024, producing 6.5 per cent of all branded litter.
The soft-drinks giant was followed by McDonald’s, Walkers, Tesco, Cadbury, and Lucozade as the most littered brands.
Over the last six years, just 17 brands have appeared in the top 10 for most commonly littered items, with Planet Patrol dubbing them the ‘usual suspects’.
However, this litter impact is even more concentrated than it might first appear since many of these brands are owned by large parent companies.
Together, the five parent companies responsible for producing the most litter accounted for 38 per cent of all pieces of rubbish.
Once again, it was the Coca-Cola Company which dominated the litter leader board, accounting for 14.34 per cent of all litter in 2023 – one in every seven items.
The six brands behind the UK’s most commonly littered items have been revealed, with Coca-Cola topping the litter leader board every year between 2019 and 2024 (stock image)
Planet Patrol’s study used volunteers to gather 292,472 items of litter that were then reported and labelled through an app.
The six years of citizen data reveal how a handful of brands dominate the majority of UK litter.
Planet Patrol founder Lizzie Carr says: ‘Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Walkers, and other familiar names are appearing in our data year after year, and yet we see insufficient action from big brands in dealing with the packaging they produce.’
The leading contributors to litter were drinks manufacturers, which produce plastic bottles and metal cans.
Besides Coca-Cola, brands such as Lucozade, Red Bull, Stella Artois, Budweiser, and Strongbow also appeared in the top 10.
A Lucozade spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘We hate to see our empty bottles end up anywhere other than in a recycling bin. Reports like this shine a greater light on the issue of plastic pollution, and we’re committed to moving to a world where plastic bottles are recycled over and over to become plastic bottles once again.’
Additionally, brands of snacks, fast food, and chocolate also made a sizeable contribution to Britain’s rubbish epidemic.
Walkers, which is owned by PepsiCo, contributed 6.66 per cent of all items of litter found across the UK in 2023 and 5.24 per cent of items in 2024.
A report produced by Planet Patrol found that Coca-Cola branded items made up 6.5 per cent of all litter, which was mainly found in the form of cans and plastic bottles
Likewise, Cadbury products made up 3.16 per cent of litter in 2023 and 3.43 per cent in 2024.
Crisp packets and chocolate wrappers are particularly challenging to dispose of since they frequently use multi-layer packaging, which cannot be recycled by home collection.
In the last six years, crisp packets and sweet wrappers have collectively contributed 3.37 per cent of all the UK’s litter.
Plastic items continue to make up the bulk of all litter, peaking at 65.3 per cent of all rubbish in 2022.
The proportion of litter made of plastic fell to 40.84 per cent in 2024; however, Planet Patrol suggests that this was primarily due to fewer items being assigned a known material by volunteers.
Plastic fragments were the most common type of litter reported over the six-year period, making up 8.31 per cent of all items.
Plastic bottles, packaging, and bags also made up a large part of the UK’s rubbish, contributing 6.06 per cent, 5.37 per cent, and 2.63 per cent.
Meanwhile, following a ban on their use which came into force in 2020, single-use plastic straws made up just 0.75 per cent of UK litter.
Plastic was the most common source of litter in the UK, peaking at 65.3 per cent of all rubbish in 2022. The proportion of litter made of plastic fell to 40.84 per cent in 2024; however, Planet Patrol suggests that this was primarily due to fewer items being assigned a known material
While the rates of plastic pollution have remained relatively consistent, Planet Patrol’s report noted a ‘notable’ increase in the prevalence of metal cans.
Reports of metal cans peaked in 2023 at 16.82 per cent of rubbish items, up from just 9.44 per cent in 2019.
Planet Patrol suggests that this could be caused by a shift in consumer preferences for canned beverages, which are marketed as being easier to recycle than plastic bottles.
One type of litter which has seen a significant reduction over the last six years is cigarette butts, which have seen an average 19 per cent year-on-year reduction.
From making up 7.17 per cent of litter in 2019, the prevalence of cigarette butts in UK litter fell to just 1.66 per cent of litter in 2024.
However, the researchers are still concerned about their environmental impact since the acetylate cellulose used in filters leaches toxic chemicals into the water and soil.
Planet Patrol is now calling for more restrictions on commonly littered items, including a ban on single-use plastic bags and acetylate cellulose cigarette filters.
The company is also calling for glass containers to be included in the UK’s deposit return scheme, which allows customers to return some drink containers to a collection point in exchange for a small payment.
The five parent companies responsible for the largest part of the UK’s litter contributed 38 per cent of all branded rubbish items in the last six years
The scheme is expected to start in October 2027, but glass containers will currently be excluded in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Ms Carr says: ‘This six year report clearly exposes consistent and pervasive patterns in both the brands and types of litter polluting our green and blue spaces across the UK.’
‘There’s no time to waste in calling on the government to clamp down on polluting brands and tighten legislation to curb the devastating impact of litter pollution.’
A McDonald’s spokesperson told Daily Mail: ‘We take our responsibility around litter very seriously, which is why for over 40 years, McDonald’s restaurant teams, have carried out daily litter patrols in local communities, picking up any packaging that people have discarded.’
Coca-Cola, Walkers, Tesco, Cadbury, Red Bull, Stella Artois, Budweiser, and Strongbow have all been contacted for comment.
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