GREENPEACE will today demand a sea change in the disposal of plastic drinking bottles after uncovering widespread ocean pollution during a round-Scotland voyage.

The international campaign group spent two months researching the impact of plastic pollution on sen-sitive coastal sites and in the habitats of puffins, seals and whales.

The crew of the Beluga II found beaches strewn with plastic bottles, bags and packaging, including in more than 30 beaches in remote areas.

Microplastics, such as tiny beads, were found in the foraging grounds of basking sharks and seabirds and waste packaging was found in the nests of seabirds at internationally important colonies, such as the Bass Rock gannet haven, the Isle of May – home to the UK’s largest grey seal breeding colony – and the Shiant Isles in the Outer Hebrides.

Plastic was seen in the beaks of birds and a gannet was discovered at sea tangled in rope, fishing gear and plastic debris.

Today the organisation will deliver a petition to Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham calling for the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks containers.

The policy is credited for increasing collection rates of plastic bottles to 95 per cent in some countries and Greenpeace claims adopting the measure here will reduce rubbish and protect our “beautiful landscapes and iconic wildlife”.

Tisha Brown, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “It cannot be right that our beaches, seas and the stunning wildlife they are home to should become the final dumping ground for throwaway plastic bottles and other plastic trash.

“With a truckload of plastic entering the ocean every minute, we need urgent action from governments and from major soft drinks companies which produce billions of single-use plastic bottles every year to stop the flow of plastic into the sea.”

Beluga II sailed around Scotland over the last few weeks, with scientists from the group’s research laboratories, based at Exeter University, on board to sample seawater for microplastics, survey beaches for pollution and investigate seabird nests for plastic during hatching season.

The expedition including collabor-ations with the Scottish Seabird Centre, the Marine Conservation Society, the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust and RSPB Scotland.

Full results from the scientific testing, including on the presence of potentially harmful chemicals, are expected later this year.

Following the petition hand-in, which will take place at the Scottish Parliament at noon, an evening event will see politicians, scientists and campaigners discuss the expedition’s findings.

They include Tory MSP Maurice Golden, who worked with Zero Waste Scotland prior to his election, Dr Paul Johnston of the Greenpeace science unit and Alison Lomax of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.