The People Vs Plastic Campaign

Surfers Against Sewage is a leading voice in the battle to eliminate plastic pollution, mobilising and empowering a nationwide network of Ocean Activists to take action and make a difference. We connect people power on the ground with businesses and changemakers to set policies and pass laws that focus on reducing, reusing and refilling, to shift our broken consumerist throwaway economy into a model that is sustainable, responsible and clean. 

We are working with around 700 communities up and down the county to rid their local communities of plastic by becoming a Plastic Free Community. Over 4,000 schools are now signed up to become a Plastic Free School with the next generation leading the way. Each year over 100,000 passionate ocean activists get up and out to clean our beaches, streets, rivers, parks and mountains through the Million Mile Clean. Together we’ve removed over 1,000,000kg of plastic pollution from the environment. And we are pressuring government to adopt new policies that will stem the tide of plastic washing into the ocean and rivers. 

And we’re not done yet. Because Plastic Pollution is still a huge threat, with the UK producing 5 million tonnes of plastic waste a year, including 15 million single-use plastic bottles a day. We demand an end to Plastic Pollution, and we need your voice, energy and enthusiasm to get there. 

Systemic change is urgently needed to end the pollution swamping the land and ocean. Businesses need to take responsibility for their polluting products and transition to models of reduction and reuse. Legislation, such as an ‘all-in’ deposit return scheme and bans of non-essential items, needs to be introduced urgently to transition the UK towards a circular economy. The government must commit to ambitious action to move us from a system keeping us locked in pointless plastic, to one which is circular and fair. And they must hold polluting companies to account.  

We have been told that we’re reliant on plastic – even though the vast majority of single-use plastic we consume serves us no real use. We have been told that recycling is the answer, despite knowing full-well it’s not a viable solution alone. We must turn off the tap at the source of plastic production. It’s time to end this consumer blame game and make the profiteering polluters accountable for their waste. 

Aside from the obvious of cleaning up our land, rivers and seas to help prevent the devastating impacts plastic has on our environment and all that live within it (including us), ending plastic pollution through systemic change will have an array of other benefits including: 

• Green economic growth 

Investment in skills-based circular economy jobs increases employment and household income, leading to economic growth. Money spent in the UK on Circular Economy services will continue to circulate within the UK. 

• Increased employment 

Ending plastic pollution will require a shift to a circular economy. This means a massive increase in skills and employment around R&D, reuse, repair and remanufacturing, and manufacturing reusable products. 

• Increased UK manufacturing 

Many single use plastics are imported. Reducing these imports means less money leaving the UK, which can instead be focused on UK manufacturing of high-quality circular products. 

• Increased resilience 

Protecting people against increasing prices, inflation, and shortage of supply of imported goods. By moving to an economy that’s supported by more high quality and sustainable products and services produced in the UK, and maintained through reuse, repair and remanufacturing. 

• Resource security 

By focusing on green growth and UK manufacturing, we will decrease our reliance on individual markets and suppliers overseas, avoiding risks in supply bottlenecks and increasing resource security. 

• Tackling climate change 

Through low carbon products and services based on circular economy principles.  

• Reduce plastic exports 

Reducing plastic waste and reducing the practice of exporting plastic waste from the UK to countries where it is found dumped or burnt irresponsibly, stimulating UK markets for resources and waste industries. 

Despite the UK having a long-standing commitment to reducing plastic waste, the reality is that only a small fraction of all plastic waste generated in the UK is recycled – an estimated 9.5%. This figure is far below the European Union (EU) average of 22.5%. And in fact, less than 10% of the plastic ever produced globally has ever been recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills, incinerated, or as we know, in our ocean.  

So, what’s stopping us from recycling out of this mess?  

Quite frankly, the global recycling system is overwhelmed. And the same goes for the UK – who rely on exporting plastic waste to other countries due to insufficient infrastructure to handle the problem. We produce and consume too much plastic, and recycling systems just can’t keep up with the colossal volume of plastic.   

There are also serious limitations to recycling – particularly when it comes to plastic. Plastic can’t be recycled forever. Unlike materials such as aluminum or glass, plastics degrade each time they’re processed so can only be recycled a number of times before they’re doomed to landfill or incineration. And we’ve not even started talking about the contamination issues or the amount of energy needed.  

Recycling isn’t a magic fix (despite what brands and business might tell you). It’s a small but important part of the solution. So, whilst we do need the UK government to improve recycling rates (e.g. through finally introducing an all-in Deposit Return Scheme), we also need more drastic and urgent action from government that focuses on solutions championing reuse and refill, and that reduces plastic production in the first place.  

Whilst we do all carry our own individual responsibility, and hold power as consumers in where we choose to spend our money, plastic-free options are often more expensive than their pointless plastic counterparts. And that’s if an option is even available at all. Mass producers of plastic are forcing us into a corner where we have limited or no choice to be able to reduce our plastic consumption.  

Plastic can be incredibly useful. Diabetics use it for syringes, arthritic patients rely on it for hip replacements, and construction workers wear it to protect their heads. Without it, we wouldn’t have computers, mobile phones or cars. The big problem? Single-use plastics and the eye-watering quantities we consume.   

But some single-use plastic items can also be essential for people with disabilities! It can be a lifesaver and provide independence, dignity and comfort to many.  

The best thing activists and allies can do is advocate for nondiscriminatory policies. So, before you go all guns blazing to eradicate pointless plastic, find out which single-use plastic items are still important and lifesaving for many first.  

Some examples of common single-use plastics disabled people might need include (but are not limited to): 

• Pre-chopped or prepared food wrapped in plastic to preserve and stay fresh. Read more here. 

• Pill dispensers and pill blister packs.  

• Straws – they must be plastic for some people! Find out why in this great article 

• Wipes with plastics in them (so that they are strong and can stand being caught in a ‘Parkinson’s grip’ and not split like the plastic-free ones often do) 

• To find out more essential plastic items, please read here.