Isles of Scilly group collects two tonnes of marine litter

More than two tonnes of litter has been picked up from the Isles of Scilly coastline in the past 18 months, according to a community group.

Scilly Coastal Clean-up, which has been sorting marine debris since February 2025, said the haul included 8,000 plastic bottles and 16,000 pieces of rope and netting.

Director Nikki Banfield said: "Scilly is at the mercy of the wind and the tides. Each rise and fall means fresh debris is deposited around our coastlines.

"The majority, around 98%, comes from far beyond our islands and can be traced to the mainland UK, Europe, Africa, America , Canada and further afield as a result of global shipping."

Banfield said the team had picked up more than 43,000 individual pieces of waste, from small pieces of plastic known as nurdles, toilet seats, wheelie bins and fridge freezers over the past 18 months.

More than one tonne of rubbish has been exported for recycling.

They have joined up with Odyssey Innovation, which recycles marine waste, and Exeter City Council to give 1.2 tonnes of rigid plastics, rope and net a new lease of life.

Banfield said a further 770kg of rope and net had also been recycled and the Council of the Isles of Scilly had disposed of 640kg of hazardous and non-recyclable waste.

Exeter City Council's recovery manager Matt Hulland said: "Plastic pollution doesn't limit itself to our peninsula beaches and waters and efforts like this highlight what an issue discarded or lost fishing gear and other plastics can be to Scilly, its people, businesses and wildlife."

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