India’s Coastal Survey Finds Drop in Beach Plastics but Persistent Microplastic Pollution

India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences has completed a three-year coastal survey (2022–2025) showing that while beach litter levels are declining, microplastics remain a persistent threat to marine ecosystems. Conducted by the National Centre for Coastal Research, the study covered 19 transects along the west coast and 25 along the east coast.

Findings point to river-borne waste and abandoned fishing gear as the primary sources of microplastic pollution. Plastic’s share of beach litter dropped from 67% in 2018 to 43% in 2024, a decline linked to awareness drives and annual clean-up programs under the “Swachh Sagar Surakshit Sagar” initiative.

Despite this progress, the survey highlights severe contamination in sensitive habitats such as mangroves, estuaries, and coral reefs. Maharashtra’s mangroves recorded up to 83% plastic debris, while Mumbai’s intertidal coral reefs exceeded 91%, dominated by single-use bags and wrappers. Even remote locations like North Cinque Island in the Bay of Bengal showed 86% of collected litter as plastic, underscoring the scale of the problem.

Since 2018, more than 250 clean-up drives have removed about 150 tonnes of litter from India’s coasts, supported by citizen science initiatives involving students, fishermen, and local residents. To address the challenge more systematically, the Ministry has drafted a National Marine Litter Policy, currently under review, aimed at strengthening prevention, monitoring, and community-led action to combat marine plastic pollution.

The persistence of microplastic and fishing-gear residue tells you upstream design decisions are the real leverage point - end-of-line cleanup can only do so much when SKU and material choices haven't changed. Our circular-economy and sustainability-due-diligence teams help consumer-goods and packaging brands trace how those upstream choices flow through to end-of-life outcomes, particularly ahead of tightening EPR regulations.