Protest planned against plastic pollution

Campaigners in Weston are to stage a protest as part of a National Day of Action against plastic pollution this Saturday, 19 July.  The Surfers Against Sewage “The People vs Plastic” campaign will see protestors descend on the UK’s beaches, to call on the government to act decisively to tackle plastic pollution at its source in order to position the UK as a global leader in the fight against single-use plastics.

The protest will be taken place at 11am on Saturday, 19 July in the Italian Gardens.

The campaign aims to ramp up the pressure on Government ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, reconvening in Geneva from 5-14 August. Earlier talks collapsed in South Korea, last year, with countries failing to agree on reducing plastic production.  Campaigners say that a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty is urgently needed to cut pollution at its source and protect blue spaces.    

Ahead of the National Day of Action, communities from coast to city will host grassroots events, from “Trash Mobs” in local schools to community-led cleans, building momentum for the nationwide protest. Data will be collected during the community cleans, which will help Surfers Against Sewage map the true scale of plastic pollution, and name the brands and retailers most to blame.

Communities and schools are at the forefront of Surfers Against Sewage’s campaign against plastic, with over 400 active Plastic Free Communities and over 3,000 Plastic Free Schools leading the way in the fight against plastic in their local area. So far in 2025, over 88,000 people have taken part in over 3,600 local cleans, collecting over 40,000kg of rubbish, as part of the charity’s Million Mile Clean initiative.

Debbie Apted, Community Lead for Plastic-free Weston-super-Mare (aka Cleaner Coastlines) is organising the local protest and said: “I’m joining the People vs Plastic protest to highlight how plastic pollution, litter and fossil fuels are all connected, and to stress how urgent it is for the UK to show leadership at the upcoming Global Plastic Treaty negotiations.  We need systemic change, including a strong Deposit Return Scheme, an end to the throwaway culture, prioritising the circular economy, and proper support for businesses tackling this crisis.

Locally, our plastic-free champions show it can be done, but we need more to be removing packaging at point of sale and maybe hiring out beach toys instead of selling cheap plastic that breaks so easily.  Accommodation providers and visiting coach companies could do more too. We want our slogan here to be "When you're done, pick up one" so picking up rubbish is normalised and leaving it behind is not acceptable.  We need bold action to stop plastic at its source. We owe it to wildlife, the ocean and future generations to turn the tide now.  We’re building an artificial beach to show just how much single-use plastic is polluting our planet and we’re inviting people to bring along the plastic they hate most (bags, bottles, broken toys, wet wipes — you name it) and dump it on our beach as a powerful protest. Those who litter pick on the way can bring that too! (Link to Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/3aqG9XGqK).”

Giles Bristow, Chief Executive at Surfers Against Sewage said; “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. 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.

“We’re sick to death of plastic-pushing corporations fuelling this crisis while spinning greenwashing lies and pointing the finger at consumers. 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.

“That’s why, on Saturday 19 July, as the school holidays get underway, we’re calling on Ocean Activists from Penzance to Porthcawl and everywhere in between to make their voices heard. Whether you’re clearing your favourite beach or marching through city streets, communities hold the power to drive change. With Global Plastics Treaty negotiations just around the corner, we must turn up the heat. Together, we can become a force impossible for leaders, and polluters, to ignore.”

Protest locations and National Week of Action information can be found on the Surfers Against Sewage website. Following the protest, the charity is encouraging people to sign a petition to put pressure on the Government to tackle the problem. For more information, visit the campaign page here.