In 2024, Strandliners staged 9 beach and 5 riverbank survey events; 36 freshwater events; deployed 300 volunteers who logged over 700 volunteer-hours; collected and safely disposed of 500 kilos of waste; filed 14 scientifically based plastic pollution surveys with national and international partners; and carried out 207 water quality tests. Over 9,000 pieces of marine and riverbank pollution were identified, recorded and removed from the environment.
What will we have achieved at the end of 2025?
Our data
We aim to be open and transparent with all our data, as we believe that it should be in the public domain in order to raise awareness of the issue of plastic pollution. You are welcome to use our data, but we ask that you give credit to Strandliners. The results of our surveys can now be found by area by following the links in the menu.
We always use use the same protocol for each our surveys (e.g. the OSPAR survey for the Marine Conservation Society or the brand audit for Break Free From Plastic or Preventing Plastic Pollution). Using a standard methodology enables us to compare data over time and space, which will enable us to spot trends.
Bear in mind that this is citizen science. While we offer our volunteers training, and we all bring our own knowledge and experience to the group, we cannot be experts in all the many different items of debris that are found on our shores and on our riverbanks.
Links to organisations we survey for
Marine Conservation Society – the Great British Beach Clean takes place in September each year, but surveys can be carried out at any time and will all count towards the annual report. You can find more information here.
Break Free From Plastic is a global organisation campaigning on a global scale to reduce plastic pollution through their annual Brand Audit, which takes place around September. They use the evidence to put pressure on the top polluters and are working hard to help bring about an inclusive Global Plastics Treaty. You can find out more here.
The Plasticblitz went nationwide for the first time in 2023. Based on a bioblitz, volunteers record all the plastic ‘species’ they find over the campaign. Strandliners took part with surveys along the River Rother – you can see the results here. Just for fun, we even gave scientific names to some of the plastic ‘species’ we found here.
The Preventing Plastic Pollution project with The Rivers Trust that we were part of has now ended, but their website has lots of ideas and activities, and you can see the results on their interactive map. You can find out more here.
Fidra is an environmental charity supporting sustainability and preventing pollution. They run many different projects including the Great Nurdle Hunt. You can see more here.
The Big Plastic Count, run by Greenpeace and Everyday Plastic takes place each year to record household plastic discarded over one week. You can find out more here.