Litter blighting UK footpaths with Lucozade bottles most often found, says study

Trash Free Trails' report finds average of 41 pieces of litter a kilometre as calls grow for deposit returns scheme

Litter is blighting the UK's footpaths, with an average 41 pieces found a kilometre, according to a major study. Particularly frequently found brands included Lucozade, Coca-Cola, Red Bull, Monster and Walkers.

The State of Our Trails report, conducted by Trash Free Trails, is the first UK study that aims to establish a scientific understanding of the environmental consequences of the tonnes of litter in our landscapes. It drew together more than 1,600 submissions by 4,500 volunteers and with the data the authors have estimated as many as 9.1m individual pieces of litter could be found across the UK's 220,000km of public rights of way. The surveys took place between July 2020 and August 2023.