Surfers Against Sewage carried out a survey in April this year on 229 beaches.

It has found that Coco Cola cans and bottles make up the greatest proportion of waste on British beaches.

Other big contributors to the rubbish found were from Walkers crisps packets, Cadbury’s chocolate packaging, McDonald’s takeaway cartons and Nestlé wrappers.

So if you are going to the beach this summer, please take all your rubbish off the beach and dispose of it properly.

If you can't the appropriate bins to throw it away, just take it home.

Did you see on the news recently about the diver who went to the bottom of the Marianna Trench, the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean, and found a plastic bag there?

Is there nowhere safe from the ubiquitous plastic bag?

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature has published a report showing that during summer, countries such as France, Italy, Egypt and Turkey suffer a 40 per cent increase in plastic on beaches and in the sea.

I know it’s not you, but if you are on your way off the beach and you pass some rubbish, perhaps you could pop it into a nearby bin and give your halo a shine.

About half of all plastic waste in France, Italy and Spain goes to landfill. But proper landfilling doesn't always happen.

One article from The Guardian tells of a situation in Italy where every week, assorted rubbish is dumped by the lorryload.

It says much of this rubbish ends up in Campania, where herds of buffalo graze among the fields north of Naples.

The prosecutor of Caserta says a third of Italy’s waste is disposed of illegally.

France, too, has discovered dozens of illegal waste dumps.

Criminals are moving into (illegal) waste disposal.

It stands to reason then that many countries are facing the same situation.

Illegal waste disposal also happens here in the UK, of course.

Last year, The Telegraph reported on two people from London who were arrested for running an illegal waste disposal racket.

It was used for fraud and money laundering with links to gangs in other parts of the UK.

Please be vigilant. Fly-tipping and illegal waste dumps cost us all more money through our council tax bills.

It costs more to clear fly-tips and illegal dumps than to dispose of it correctly.