Revealed: Which brands are responsible for most litter pollution in the UK
The worst packaging polluters in the UK have been revealed by a campaign group.
An annual waste audit by Surfers Against Sewage saw 4,000 citizen scientists collect over 30,700 pieces of rubbish along coastlines, canal paths and city streets.
Just 12 companies were responsible for 70% of the items that carried branding.
Coca-Cola topped the list for the fourth year running, despite the company launching initiatives to slash plastic pollution.
McDonald’s was in second place with PepsiCo third – and altogether, the three brands were responsible for 37% of the branded pollution collected.
Tesco, Haribo, Nestle, Heineken, Mars, Carlsberg and Red Bull were also named in what Surfers Against Sewage called “the dirty dozen”.
Izzy Ross, the group’s campaigns manager, described the results as “shocking, but sadly not surprising” – and called on big businesses to clean up their act.
“Year on year we’re seeing the same culprits responsible for disgusting amounts of plastic pollution on our beaches, and in our cities and countryside,” she warned.
Surfers Against Sewage is calling on these companies to be held accountable – and take further steps to slash their plastic use and carbon footprint.
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Campaigners also want the government to enforce an “all-in” deposit return scheme for drinks containers of all sizes and materials.
While plans for a deposit return scheme have been announced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it won’t include glass – and its launch has been delayed until 2025.
Ms Ross accused the government of “stalling”, and added: “In doing so, it is condemning our ocean, beaches and rivers to a further eight billion extra pieces of plastic a year, as plastic gradually chokes these fragile ecosystems to death.”
A Coca-Cola spokesperson said it is clear the world is facing a packaging waste problem, and the drinks giant has a responsibility to help solve it.
“Here in the UK, all of our bottles are already recyclable, and all of our smaller packs are made with 100% recycled plastic, excluding cap and label,” they added.
McDonald’s said 90% of its packaging comes from recycled or renewable sources – and plastic McFlurry lids, straws, salad boxes, cutlery and Happy Meal toys have all been scrapped.
PepsiCo acknowledged litter on British beaches is a “huge problem” – and it must play a “significant role” in addressing it.
The business has vowed to reduce plastic used across all of its products, and phase out virgin fossil-based plastics in all crisp packets by the end of the decade.
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Nestle explained that plastic is used “in the interests of safety, freshness and affordability” – but it is “unacceptable for that packaging to end up as litter in the natural environment”.
The company says it’s aiming for close to 100% of its packaging to be designed for recycling within two years.
And Heineken said: “We understand the immediate impact of litter on the environment and we have taken some important steps to address this issue.”
Tesco, Haribo, Mars, Carlsberg, Red Bull – as well as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – have been contacted by the PA news agency for comment.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
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In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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