The cost to our environment of rubbish was spelled out in a tweet from the Field Studies Centre in Millport last week.
The island marine station facility messaged its followers to say: "Today on our 10 minute beach cleans, one of our groups found over 100 cotton buds!"
Island 'cludgie' cleaner Suki McGregor recently told the 'News' that cotton buds being stuck down the loos continued to be a problem on the island recently.
A spokesman for the Scottish Wildlife Trust said: "Due to their size, cotton bud sticks are rarely captured by sewage treatment, so those that are flushed down the toilet instead of being put into a bin will regularly find their way into the sea and onto beaches."