A series of beach-cleans form part of a National Day of Action tomorrow (Saturday, 19 July), to protest against the UK government’s slowness to tackle plastics pollution.
Co-ordinated by environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), events are set to take place across the country. Protesters are demanding that the government should take bold, urgent action ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations set for Geneva next month (5-14 August).
Last year’s talks in South Korea collapsed as countries failed to agree a plan for reducing plastics production, but campaigners want a legally binding treaty that tackles pollution at source and protects blue spaces.
“Broken promises, stalled progress, surging pollution – we are drowning in the toxic tide of plastic that continues to rise. Enough is enough, so we are rising up too,” says SAS chief executive Giles Bristow.
“As families pack their buckets and spades and the summer holidays begin, there’s no better time to shine a light on the plastics choking our shores. The UK remains one of the worst offenders for generating single-use waste that travels the globe, and our government is still dawdling on action.”
People v Plastic
The programme is part of the People v Plastic campaign, with communities holding grassroots events such as beach-cleans. Data collected through the activities will help SAS to map plastics-pollution blackspots, and name the brands and retailers deemed responsible.
As well as setting legally binding targets, key demands for the government include implementation of a deposit return scheme and holding polluters to account, whether by enforcing current laws or delivering “extended producer responsibility” schemes that force them to pay.
Campaigners want to see the UK aim for global leadership in the fight against single-use plastics.
The largest protest is scheduled to take place in Penzance – the first declared “Plastic Free Community” – with a human chain to demonstrate the town’s resistance to the plastics problem.
SAS says it has already enlisted more than 400 active Plastic Free Communities and 3,000+ Plastic Free Schools. So far in 2025, more than 88,000 people have taken part in 3,600+ local cleans, collecting more than 40,000kg of rubbish as part of the eco-activists’ Million Mile Clean initiative.
‘Greenwashing lies’
“We’re sick to death of plastic-pushing corporations fuelling this crisis while spinning greenwashing lies and pointing the finger at consumers,” continues Bristow. “They churn out mountains of non-recyclable packaging, sabotage vital policies behind closed doors, and consistently miss every voluntary target.
“The Labour government pledged us a zero-waste future. We’re all ears, but we won’t settle for anything less.”
Divers and others keen to get involved are asked to check the Surfers Against Sewage campaign page to find a local protest to join, show support by getting involved with a Plastic Free Community close to home and, after the protest, to sign a petition to increase pressure on the government.
Also on Divernet: DIVERS, BACK SAS TO CLEAN UP UK WATERS, GHOST FISHING DIVERS NET PLASTICS AWARD, SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE TACKLE COVID-19 ‘PLASTIC PANDEMIC’
