Organizations teamed up in June to take part in an ocean cleanup. However, during several previous cleanups, millions of everyday items were found polluting the ocean. The nonprofit Ocean Conservancy compiled a list of the top five items riddling our waters.

5. Plastic Bags

Sea animals can get tangled or choked by plastic bags. Photo: Shutterstock

Plastic comes in many shapes and forms, and many of it ends up in our oceans. However, plastic bags are one of the biggest threats to sea creatures and their habitats. In 2022, over 1 million plastic bags were recovered during the International Coastal Ocean cleanup. Sea animals often get tangled in plastic bags, and some even choke to death.

127 countries worldwide, 39 in Africa and 27 in Europe, have banned the materials, yet the rapid growth of the bags continues. Organizations estimate that there will be more plastic than fish by 2050.

4. Plastic Bottle Caps

Plastic bottle caps are a major choking hazard for sea animals; Photo: Shutterstock

Another plastic item makes its way into the top five. During an ocean cleanup in 2022, volunteers found 844,375 bottle caps, but many more remain there. While plastic bottle caps are different than bags, they pose similar threats to our ocean and the critters that live in it. Bottle caps are small enough for birds and fish to swallow whole.

These little pollutants can block an animal’s airways or become lodged in its digestive system. In addition, they can cause severe discomfort and pain to the animal.

3. Food Wrappers and Containers

Almost a million food wrappers and containers were recovered from the ocean during the 2022 cleanup. The final number was 998,661, and one can assume that there are many more where that came from, especially if you fast forward from 2022 to now.

Once again, these products highlight the severe plastic problem impacting our oceans. Additionally, most of the items aren’t biodegradable and take years to decompose. As a result, the wrappers live on the ocean floor and risk fish ingesting or choking on them.

2. Plastic Beverage Bottles

Plastic bottles are one of the biggest ocean pollutants. Photo: Shutterstock

The second most collected pollutant from the ocean is plastic bottles. Over one million plastic bottles were collected during the 2022 ocean cleanup. The exact number was 1,175,045, and again, there is even more that is still polluting the water.

According to a study from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, over 1 million plastic bottles are sold every minute worldwide.

1. Cigarettes

Over a million cigarette butts were collected during an ocean cleanup; Photo: Shutterstock

The number one item found during the 2022 cleanup was cigarettes and cigarette filters. Volunteers collected over 1,860,615 cigarette butts from the water. This staggering number results from these items traveling through drains and gutters. Eventually, they end up in our oceans. Birds and sea animals often mistake these items for food, resulting in them ingesting the harmful toxins that cigarettes contain.

Other items that made the top ten list include plastic cutlery, straws and stirrers, glass bottles, cans, and paper bags. Millions of these products were recovered from the ocean during the 2022 cleanup, and even more certainly continue to contaminate the ocean and threaten wildlife.