Early day motion · EDM 130 · 18 May 2026

State of our Beaches report 2025

Tabled by Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat) 17 signatures

The motion

That this House celebrates the publication of the Marine Conservation Society’s annual State of our Beaches report; thanks the thousands of volunteers whose efforts removed over 600,000 litter items from our beaches, of which 26,592 items were removed from the coasts of Devon and Cornwall; notes with concern that single-use plastics were found on 97% of beaches surveyed in the UK; recognises the damaging impact of marine litter on the natural environment, coastal communities and local economies; believes that targeted interventions can successfully reduce the most persistent and harmful forms of pollution; and therefore calls on the Government to phase out non-recyclable single-use plastics entirely, replacing them with suitable, affordable alternatives.