Emma Cowley

Growing up in the South West, I enjoyed many childhood holidays in Cornwall but really developed a passion for the ocean while studying at Falmouth University. I would wake up for sunrise swims, kayak (albeit badly) in stormy waves and paddle board alongside barrel jellyfish. No wonder I fell in love with Cornwall and wished to stay forever.

However, I couldn’t ignore that I was sharing these amazing experiences with something far worse – plastic. I’ll never forget taking the dogs to the beach and being greeted by thousands of pink, single-use plastic bottles. I knew we had to take action to avoid this happening again. So, as well as writing a theoretical project on Surfers Against Sewage for my degree, I started hosting Mini Beach Cleans in the hope of raising awareness among my peers.

With a marketing degree under my belt, I began my career in the hospitality industry. It blew my mind to see how much single-use plastic a hotel could go through on a daily basis. I was able to implement the use of refillable glass and ceramic bottles in the rooms, removing 22,265 plastic water bottles and 89,060 plastic toiletries per year.

I’ve been very fortunate to join Surfers Against Sewage at the start of 2021 as their Corporate Partnerships Officer. As part of my role, I will be re-structuring the 250 Club as an inspiring business membership scheme. It’s amazing to see businesses becoming more sustainable and environmentally conscious so we want to shout this loud and proud!

Let’s collaborate! Get in touch by emailing below.