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Top Plastic Polluting Brands Revealed

Surfers Against Sewage is exposing the UK’s worst plastic polluters in their 2025 Brand Audit Report

Surfers Against Sewage have revealed the worst plastic polluting brands in their 2025 Brand Audit report. Underpinned by the UK’s biggest people-powered dataset yet, which was collected on Million Mile Cleans day in and out across the nation, the findings are enraging.  

The report reveals that government failure to crack down on household brands is fueling the plastic pollution crisis – and communities have been left to pick up the pieces. 

The key takeaways 

Pollution from single-use plastic packaging is rampant  

Plastic remains the most dominant type of pollution in the UK, no matter where you are – and of this, a significant proportion originates from single-use packaging. The sheer scale of this pollution directly reflects the current state of the UK; we have become the second biggest plastic consumer in the world. Let that sink in. Plastic consumption and throwaway culture are out of control. The crisis fuelled not by consumers, but by the fossil fuel industry expanding plastic production – and with major consumer brands cashing in at the expense of the environment and human health.  

Data exposes the 2025 ‘Dirty Dozen’ – the 12 most polluting household brands in the UK – who were responsible for over half (52%) of all branded pollution found on cleans. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same old culprits we’ve seen before. 

See the top polluters

The worst plastic polluting brands have been BUSY* 

*Telling greenwashed lies – and not taking action to tackle the crisis.  

Further investigations uncovered that, despite a decade of promises and a strong public mandate for change, these polluting brands have done next to nothing to tackle the crisis.  

So, what have brands really been up to over the past decade? Spoiler alert, it wasn’t innovative product design or circular economy transition. The truth is that brands have spun greenwashing lies; broken promises, abandoned targets, increased virgin plastic use, and derailed the desperately needed legislation both in the UK and on a global stage. All while continuing to flood the environment with harmful plastic pollution.  

And at the same time, the UK Government has left them off the hook; free to pollute without consequence. 

Read the full report

We need laws, not lies  

On the global stage, the UK Government talks a big game about tackling plastic pollution. But what really matters is what happens at home. And in the UK, all we’ve seen is policy delay, delay and more delay. 

Sustained lobbying from the Dirty Dozen successfully contributed to delays to two key policies: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) These policies, that would reduce plastic pollution, have been stalled and pushed back multiple times. EPR was delayed at least one year later than scheduled and DRS by at least four years.  

The UK Government must stand up against lobbying brands and start implementing the changes we urgently need. No more letting dirty polluters win. It’s time for legislative change, to stop pollution at source and finally hold polluters to account. 

What we’re calling for

Voluntary action from brands to tackle the plastic pollution crisis is not working. We need the UK government to step up and act now. 

We are calling on brands and the UK Government to clean up their act – and do it fast. 

Surfers Against Sewage is calling for an urgent shift from voluntary pledges to binding action that matches the scale of the crisis. We are calling on Governments across the UK to act urgently, implementing: 

  1. Legally Binding Targets to Cut Plastics Production  
  2. The Creation of a World Leading Circular Economy 
  3. A Ban on Toxic Chemicals  
  4. Tackle the worst polluting Single-Use Plastics 

How you can take action

Thank you citizen scientists 

The report would not have been possible without each and every dedicated volunteer taking part in the Million Mile Clean last year: rolling up sleeves, removing harmful plastic from the environment and recording vital data to hold polluters accountable.  

The incredible data collected reflects the growing movement of communities across the UK standing up against plastic and the polluters, with an unwavering commitment to protecting the ocean, nature and all the other wild spaces we love and depend upon. 

So, a massive THANK YOU to everyone who helped. People power is what will turn the tide on plastic pollution, for good. 

Want to keep building the movement? Take part in an outdoor clean this Spring!

Join the Million Mile Spring Clean