Communities Across the South West to Join National Day of Action Against Plastic Pollution

Mass protests, beach cleans and school-led events planned this Saturday as pressure builds on Government ahead of crucial plastics talks

Communities across Cornwall and the south west will join a National Day of Action this Saturday, 19th July, calling on the Government to take urgent action against plastic pollution.

The day, led by environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage, is part of their The People vs Plastic campaign and comes just weeks ahead of the next round of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, taking place in Geneva from 5th to 14th August.

Human Chain Protest in Penzance

The largest protest of the day will be held in Penzance, where hundreds are expected to link hands along the promenade in a powerful display of public resistance. The town became the UK’s first ever Plastic Free Community in 2017.

Rachel Yates, Senior Communities Manager at Surfers Against Sewage, said:
“Penzance was the first ever SAS Plastic Free Community. This weekend, we are standing up to the polluters and joining hands in a massive human chain along the promenade. Our voices will be heard loud and clear: we must stop the plastic problem, and the government must step up to protect our ocean from this threat.”

Rachel added:
“As a town we have been working hard to reduce single-use plastic, but producers and brands are still pumping out products we just don’t want. It’s time to send a message that communities are doing their best to protect the ocean, now producers and big business must do the same.”

Events Across the South West

Alongside the flagship Penzance protest, a series of clean-ups and demonstrations are planned across the region. Events will take place at:

• Penzance Promenade, Cornwall – 12:00

• Gylly Beach, Falmouth, Cornwall – 16:00

• Croyde Beach, Devon – 10:00 (Million Mile Clean)

• Weston-super-Mare, Somerset – 11:00

• Village Square, Uffculme, Devon – 10:30

• Cheltenham, Gloucestershire – 14:00

In Cheltenham, Plastic Free Community lead Carol Febry explained why she organised both a protest and a clean-up:
“We need to take a stand against the production of new single-use plastics which is compounding an already dire plastic pollution problem, which is killing our wildlife, damaging human health and contributing to climate change. To do this we need politicians to take urgent action.”

Carol added that she’s contacted her MP and urged them to attend a major plastics debate in Parliament this Thursday.
“Powerful fossil fuel and plastics companies are pushing hard to influence politicians and weaken the deal. We have to act now.”

Campaigners Target Global Plastic Treaty Talks

The day of action aims to increase pressure on politicians ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, after talks broke down in South Korea last year. Campaigners are pushing for a legally binding treaty to tackle plastic pollution at its source and protect the world’s oceans.

The public is encouraged to find their local protest or event via the Surfers Against Sewage campaign page.

As part of the campaign, communities have been collecting data during clean-ups to help identify the worst offending brands and track the scale of plastic waste across the UK.

So far in 2025, over 88,000 people have taken part in more than 3,600 local cleans, collecting over 40,000kg of waste through the Million Mile Clean campaign. More than 400 active Plastic Free Communities and over 3,000 Plastic Free Schools are now taking part in the fight against plastic pollution.

Calls for Tougher Laws

Surfers Against Sewage is calling on the UK Government to:

• Set legally binding targets to reduce plastic pollution

• Introduce a circular economy built around reuse and refill, including a nationwide Deposit Return Scheme

• Enforce Extended Producer Responsibility schemes that make polluters pay

Giles Bristow, Chief Executive of 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.”

He added:
“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 19th 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.”

For more information or to get involved, visit www.sas.org.uk.