The survey was conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Marine Conservation Society, which highlighted the growing number of the plastic devices in its annual Beachwater litter survey.
The charity pointed out that single-use vapes are not only made of plastic, which takes decades to degrade, but also contain lithium, copper and a number of chemicals that can leach out into the environment.
And although it is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, the most recent NHS data showed that 9 per cent of 11- to 15-year-olds use e-cigarettes. In February, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty branded the marketing of vapes to children as ‘appalling’.
Clare Trotman, Beachwatch officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Unfortunately the most common, and many of the oldest, items that we find washed up on our beaches are made from plastic. This is because it takes such a long time to break down, and when it does, it often breaks down into small pieces of plastic which can be harmful to marine life. For the sake of people and planet, we’re urging decision makers to work towards a circular economy where the focus is to refuse, reduce, repair, reuse and recycle.”
More than 13,600 volunteers took part in the charity’s beach clean and litter survey, clearing British shores of 17,772 kgs of litter.
The Beachwatch report 2022 showed that nine out of ten items found on UK beaches were made of plastic.