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The Marine Conservation Society fights for the future of our seas through people-powered action - with science on our side. We want to see cleaner, better-protected, healthier seas. The global ocean is choked with litter - mostly plastic. Our Beachwatch project collects rubbish on UK beaches and our volunteers record every piece. Our experts then work with communities, businesses and governments with solutions to stop it getting there in the first place.

Single-use plastic items are consistently in the top five finds during our annual Great British Beach Clean. Once in the sea, items like bottles, bags, straws and food wrapping break down into tiny pieces called microplastics which are ingested by plankton and move up the food chain and onto our plates.

Image credit: Rich Carey

Plastics litter is a huge threat to marine life both above and below the waves. We are literally choking the ocean, leading to slow and painful deaths for some of our favourite animals. This grey seal on Horsey Beach, Norfolk, is entangled in fishing line.

Image credit: Kev Gregory

Our volunteers are truly exceptional. Their hard work, organising or volunteering at beach cleans, helps us combat litter on two fronts - collecting and recording. Clean ups mean less plastic litter to kill wildlife. It's people-powered action at its best.

Image credit: Andrew J Brown