Litter: 'Half of UK litter' comes from 10 brands - Can you guess which?

Image source, Getty Images

More than half of all identifiable litter in the UK can be traced back to just 10 brands - can you guess which?

That's according to the latest report by Planet Patrol - an environmental non-profit group.

As part of the report, more than 85,000 pieces of litter were collected and recorded by people in the UK in 2021.

More than a third of the litter collected came from drinks companies, such as plastic bottles, cans and single-use cups, making them the biggest polluter for the second year in a row.

Which brands did the litter come from?

Image source, Getty Images

The 10 brands responsible for making up more than half of the litter collected were:

  • Coca-Cola
  • McDonald's
  • Cadbury
  • Red Bull
  • Walkers
  • Lucozade
  • Tesco
  • and three alcohol brands

Of these Coca-Cola produced the most litter, with more than one in every ten pieces of litter collected from them.

The report also showed that the amount of metal litter (from things like cans) has nearly doubled, rising from 8% in 2019 to 15.5% in 2021.

However, the survey also showed some good news.

The amount of plastic has fallen from 67% in 2019, to 51% in 2021, suggesting that people are choosing to avoid buying single-use plastics or are doing more to recycle them properly.

Deposit-return scheme calls

Video caption, WATCH: How Norway recycles plastic bottles

Planet Patrol founder Lizzie Carr said: "Just 10 parent companies were responsible for more than 50% of branded litter in the UK last year, and we're seeing the same offenders, like Coca-Cola, repeatedly in our data."

The environmental group is calling for more deposit return schemes to be brought in "without delay", which would see people pay a small extra amount when buying drinks bottles and cans, which is then given back when the empty containers are taken to a recycling collection point.

A UK spokesperson for Coca-Cola said: "We're committed to reducing plastic waste and we don't want to see any of our packaging end up where it shouldn't.

"All of our bottles have been 100% recyclable for many years, and we aim to collect a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2025, as part of our commitment to help create a World Without Waste.

"We also strongly support the introduction of a well designed and implemented Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). We have long advocated the positive environmental impact such schemes can have, and we will continue to work with Westminster and the devolved governments to champion DRS initiatives."

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