Plastic waste on beaches underestimated by 80% - study

The amount of ocean plastic washing up on beaches around the world could be underestimated by up to 80%, according to new research being carried out in Australia.

Dr Jennifer Lavers, from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania, has told Sky News current pollution data could represent just "the tip of the iceberg" of what is really in the environment.

Her study compared the number of plastic items found during a typical beach clean-up - the main source of data for estimates about the quantity of waste on coastlines - with the amount subsequently identified by more thorough surveys of the same areas.

Initial results of numerous comparative experiments suggest a typical beach clean-up, even if carried out by multiple individuals covering the same area, on average only identifies between 20 and 25% of the waste that is actually present on the surface.

"The reality of the plastic situation is that we are only skimming the surface," Dr Lavers said.