Marine debris is a ubiquitous problem that poses a serious threat to the global oceans; it has motivated
public participation in clean-up campaigns, as well as governmental involvement in developing mitigation
strategies. While it is known that the problem of marine litter may be affected by waste management
practices on land, beach survey results have seldom been compared with them. In this study, marine litter
surveys on four beaches of Cijin Island were conducted to explore the effects of waste management
and policy implications. Indirect evidence shows that chances for land-based litter, such as plastic bags
and bottles, entering the marine environment can be greatly decreased if they can be properly reduced,
reused and recycled. We suggest that mitigation measures should focus on source reduction, waste recycling
and management, utilizing effective economic instruments, and pursuing a long-term public education
campaign to raise the public awareness of this problem.