Litter Intelligence is a long-term citizen science programme tackling coastal and beach litter by turning community effort into scientifically-rigorous data. Led by New Zealand charity Sustainable Coastlines in collaboration with government agencies (including Stats NZ, the Department of Conservation and the Ministry for the Environment), the programme establishes a national database of beach litter surveys that tracks trends in plastic and other debris over time.

Training workshops equip volunteers — from schools and community groups to families and coast enthusiasts — with a standardised monitoring method based on international best practice to ensure data quality and comparability. All results are openly accessible, connecting local action to national insights on marine litter.

Across Aotearoa’s coastlines, Citizen Scientists visit designated beach sites regularly (typically every three months) to measure and categorise the litter that has accumulated. By consistently applying a defined survey methodology, participants contribute to a growing dataset used by researchers, policymakers, educators and local communities to better understand the scale, composition and sources of coastal debris — and to inform litter reduction strategies on both local and national scales. The programme also supports broader public engagement and education around plastic pollution and sustainable behaviours.

The project is adaptable to other countries and regions and has been utilised also in South Pacific nations.