"Top Ten" Lists for Virginia

Data shown below are collected by volunteers during the annual Virginia Waterways Cleanup (part of the International Coastal Cleanup).

Top of the list EVERY year: Convenience food items (bottles, cans, food wrappers, straws, etc.) and smoking-related litter are annually found on Virginia's Top Ten List. These are the items most frequently found by volunteers during the International Coastal Cleanup in Virginia. Sometimes fishing related litter and balloons join the Top Ten. If we could eliminate the Top Ten items, then we would also eliminate about 85% of the litter found in Virginia!

2007 Top Ten in Virginia

Item	Number found			Per Cent of Total
1. Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters		28,600	19.5 %
2. Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 2 liters or less		24,638	16.8 %
3. Food Wrappers and Containers		17,831	12.2 %
4. Bags		13,973	9.5 %
5. Beverage Cans		11,147	7.6 %
6. Beverage Bottles (Glass)		9,885	6.7 %
7. Cups/Plates/Forks/Knives/Spoons		7,796	5.3 %
8. Caps/Lids		5,464	3.7 %
9. Building Supplies		4,728	3.2 %
10. Straws/Stirrers		2,429	1.7 %

In 2007, these ten categories represented 86.2 % of the trash picked up from Virginia’s rivers and beaches. Cigarette butts are on top of the list. Food and beverage packaging dominate the rest of the list. Builidng supplies (often construction waste) made Virginia's Top Ten for the first time.

2006 Top Ten in Virginia

Item	Number found			Per Cent of Total
1. Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 2 liters or less		9729	13.5%
2. Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters		9542	13.3%
3. Bags		8364	11.6%
4. Food Wrappers and Containers		7537	10.5%
5. Beverage Cans		7418	10.3%
6. Beverage Bottles (Glass)		7400	10.3%
7. Cups/Plates/Forks/Knives/Spoons		4083	5.7%
8. Caps/Lids		3992	5.5%
9. Straws/Stirrers		2066	2.9%
10. Balloons		1279	1.8%

In 2006, these ten categories represented 85.4% of the trash picked up from Virginia’s rivers and beaches. Plastic beverage bottles are on top of the list. Food and beverage packaging and cigarette butts dominate the rest of the list. Once again, balloons made the top ten list -- an indication that this is a serious and continuing problem.

2005 Top Ten in Virginia

Debris Item	Number of Items	Percent of Total
1. Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters	11,974	17.8%
2. Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 2 liters or less	8,531	12.7%
3. Food Wrappers and Containers	7,677	11.4%
4. Beverage Bottles (Glass)	6,241	9.3%
5. Beverage Cans	5,799	8.6%
6. Bags	4,959	7.4%
7. Caps/Lids	3,427	5.1%
8. Cups/Plates/Forks/ Knives/Spoons	3,133	4.6%
9. Straws/Stirrers	1,514	2.2%
10. Balloons	1,332	2.0%
Totals:	54,587	80.9%

In 2005, these ten categories represented 80.9% of the trash picked up from Virginia’s rivers and beaches. Cigarettes butts are back on top of the list. Food and beverage packaging dominates the rest of the list. The biggest story is that balloons made the top ten list. This should not be a surprise to the Site Captains who have their cleanups on Virginia’s beaches. While balloons that fall on land stay where they fall, the balloons that fall in the ocean or in the Chesapeake Bay wash up on the shore, where volunteers find them in great numbers.

2004 Top Ten in Virginia

Debris Item	Number of Items	Percent of Total
1. Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 2 liters or less	13,703	15.6 %
2. Beverage Bottles (Glass)	12,692	14.4%
3. Food Wrappers/Containers	10,543	12.0 %
4. Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters	8,896	10.1 %
5. Beverage Cans	8,774	10.0 %
6. Bags	6,883	7.8 %
7. Caps, Lids	5,571	6.3 %
8. Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons	5,100	5.8 %
9. Straws / Stirrers	1,714	2.1 %
10. Balloons	1,478	1.7 %
Totals:	75,454	85.8%

2003 Top Ten in Virginia

Debris Item	Number of Items	Percent of Total
1. Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 2 liters or less	12,527	24.6%
2. Food Wrappers/Containers	7,848	15.4%
3. Beverage Cans	6,220	12.2%
4. Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters	4,564	9.0%
5. Beverage Bottles (Glass)	4,078	8.0%
6. Bags	3,430	6.7%
7. Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons	3,033	6.0%
8. Caps, Lids	2,471	4.9%
9. Bait Containers/Packaging	802	1.6%
10. Cigarette Lighters	701	1.4%
Totals:	45,674	89.8%

2002 Top Ten in Virginia

Debris Item	Number of Items	Percent of Total
1. Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters	9,775	24.8%
2. Food Wrappers/Containers	4,210	10.7%
3. Beverage Bottles (Glass)	3,714	9.4%
4. Beverage Bottles (Plastic) 2 liters or less	3,630	9.2%
5. Beverage Cans	3,233	8.2%
6. Caps, Lids	2,357	6.0%
7. Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons	2,219	5.6%
8. Bags	2,091	5.3%
9. Balloons	1,180	3.0%
10. Straws, Stirrers	891	2.3%
Totals:	33,300	84.5%

2001 Top Ten in Virginia

Debris Item	Number of Items	Percent of Total
1. bags/food wrappers	11,452	14.9%
2. beverage bottles (plastic) 2 liters or less	11,362	14.8%
3. cigarettes/cigarette filters	11,193	14.6%
4. beverage bottles (glass)	9,045	11.8%
5. beverage cans	6,657	8.7%
6. cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons	5,718	7.4%
7. caps, lids	4,214	5.5%
8. fast-food containers	2,348	3.1%
9. straws, stirrers	2,066	2.7%
10. tobacco packaging/wrappers	1,388	1.8%
Total:	65,443	85.2%

How does the "Top Ten" list from Virginia compare with the U.S. and the World "Top Ten" lists? Click here to find out!

This young woman is recording the litter and debris that other volunteers are collecting during the International Coastal Cleanup in Virginia.

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