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Press Release 16.03.2026
For 35 years, Surfrider Foundation Europe has been working to protect the Ocean. This protection involves collecting and quantifying the pollution it faces. This year again, thousands of citizens have committed alongside the NGO to collect data on marine litter. Surfrider publishes today its 2025 annual report, to give a better understanding of marine litter origins and impacts
Citizen Science : the Heart of Surfrider’s work
In 2025, Surfrider carried out several citizen science programs that analyzed waste found on beaches and riverbanks’ quantity, type, and distribution across Europe:
- Ocean Initiatives program enables anyone to collect and quantify 30 types of waste.
- Biocarriers collects opportunistic data on the presence and type of biocarriers.
- Ospar/MSFD protocol – certified by the European Union – conduct scientific monitoring of waste through specific collection and classification methods.
All the data is used at different levels - local, national, and European - to improve scientific knowledge of the subject. Information is also used for advocacy to influence European and national decision-makers and industrial, to act at the source of pollution and promote stricter environmental regulations.
This report highlights the results of these actions and underlines the importance of collective engagement. Everyone can contribute to preserve the environment and the ocean.
Link to the report
Participation’s key Figures
This year marks yet another increase in the amount of trash collected by collect’s participants (more than 100,000 additional pieces of trash). The NGO particularly highlights the 50% increase over the past year in the amount of trash collected per 100 meters (only 223 in 2024).
Surfrider would also like to thank everyone who joined them to make these cleanups and data collection efforts possible.
Ocean Initiatives: Most found types of waste
Once again, this year, the list of the 10 most found types of litter remains unchanged : Cigarette butts continue to top the list in terms of number of items found, with the total number doubling compared to 2024.
OSPAR Protocol: A Scientific Protocol for Beaches and Rivers
In 2025, 9 sites located across France and Spain conducted rigorous scientific monitoring in accordance with standards set by the European Union. Four collections were carried out within these 100-meter sites throughout the year, resulting in the quantification of 11,860 pieces of litter in total, or 349 per 100 meters.
Spotlight on Biocarriers’ Pollution
Biocarriers are bacterial supports used in some types of wastewater treatment plants. These small plastic cylinders, support the growth of microorganisms that settle, multiply, and break down suspended matter in the water. During floods, intense storms, peak tourist periods generating large flows of water or when infrastructure malfunctions, biocarriers can end up being discharged into the environment.
In 2025, 7,197 pieces of biocarriers were found and reported, through Surfrider's reporting platform, across 122 municipalities across Europe.
Field Data to drive Legislative Change
Surfrider points out that these year marine litter's data collections by citizens are essential for driving legislative change. In 2019, for example, they helped secure the adoption of the European Single-Use Plastics Directive, which led to a ban on the sale of plastic items such as straws, stirrers, cutlery, and cotton swabs.
In 2026, the data can be used to support a citizen-driven, reality-based position during the review of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
We remain at the disposal of journalists for any request for information or interviews.
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