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Motion · S7M-00204 · 1 Jun 2026

Progress and Challenges in Tackling Marine Litter

Lodged by Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party) Members' Business Motion 17 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the report by the Marine Conservation Society, State of our Beaches 2025; acknowledges that it provides a detailed breakdown of marine litter found on UK beaches in 2025; notes that the data is taken from the charity’s year-round citizen science project, Beachwatch, which was launched over 30 years ago; applauds the 3,763 volunteers who collected a total of 385,851 pieces of litter from Scottish beaches in 2025, including in the Cunninghame South constituency; welcomes a decrease in the average number of litter items per 100 metres of beach, from 204 items in 2024 to 157 items in 2025; expresses concern, however, that over 23,500 items of sewage-related debris were recorded on Scottish beaches in 2025, including wet wipes and cotton bud sticks, representing a 25% increase on the previous year; recognises the importance of continued action to tackle marine litter, including through improvements to sewage and water infrastructure and the effective implementation of a deposit returns Scheme in Scotland, and notes calls for the Scottish Government to work constructively alongside key stakeholders to keep harmful materials out of Scotland’s marine environment.

Supporters (17)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.