JOIN THE BIGGEST BIG SPRING BEACH CLEAN EVER!

Surfers Against Sewage call upon 20,000 beach clean volunteers to capture ‘avoidable plastic’ evidence at 550 coastal and river locations nationwide

This April 7^th – 15^th will see marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) call upon 20,000 volunteers to join in at a record breaking 550 community beach cleans across the UK. SAS’s call to action is timely, in a week that a Government report projected that ocean plastic is set to treble (to 16 TRILLIION items) by 2025 (1), never has it been more important for people to come together to tackle this human-made scourge of the seas.

In the last decade, SAS’s Big Spring Beach Clean has grown into one of the largest and most impactful marine conservation actions in the world. However Surfers Against Sewage believe that this year is different, this year there is light at the end of the tunnel in the journey towards Plastic Free Coastlines, a light that recently became an explosion of ‘ocean plastic awareness’ thanks to the ‘Attenborough effect’ of Blue Planet 2!

The Big Spring Beach Clean will convert this explosion of awareness into positive action by asking each of SAS’s 20,000 beach clean volunteers to record and share the presence of millions of items of ‘avoidable plastics’ with the Governments Treasury consultation on single-use plastics (as well as removing and recycling thousands of kilos of marine debris).

Using the hashtags #AvoidablePlastics and #PlasticFreeCoastlines, this mass data collection will provide the Government with ‘Un-Avoidable’ evidence of the urgent need to introduce upstream solutions to reduce single-use plastic.

Dom Ferris, SAS Head of Community and Engagement says: “The scene is set and all that remains is for you to donate your time to the cause. The great news is that SAS beach cleans are also really fun, community spirited events and with 35 beach cleans taking place from Old Colwyn to Penarth there’s sure to be plenty to choose from near you”.

To find your nearest event head to sas.org.uk or email Jack at beachcleans@sas.org.uk.

WHAT ARE ‘AVOIDABLE PLASTICS’?

This is the UK Government’s definition; “Avoidable means what is Technically, Environmentally and Economically Practicable”. Simply put, this is single-use plastic that can be avoided, individually and/or collectively through the use of sustainable alternatives and simple behavioural choices.

SAS’s ‘AVOIDABLE PLASTIC’ CHECKLIST

Big Spring Beach Clean volunteers will be asked to remove, record and report the following prime plastic offenders;

1. Plastic bottles / bottle tops / cups / cartons
2. Coffee cups and lids
3. Plastic cutlery
4. Straws
5. Takeaway / on-the-go food packaging
6. Plastic bags
7. Bathroom plastics: Plastic toothbrushes, disposable razors, cotton buds, plastic sanitary items, shampoo etc. containers
8. Balloons
9. Individual condiment sachets/wrappers / sweet wrappers / lolly sticks
10. Polystyrene packaging / fast food containers
11. *Not currently classed as avoidable – Medical items, fishing gear, ship/automotive parts, any non-plastics.

UPSTREAM SOLUTIONS PARTNERSHIPS

Surfers Against Sewage are proud to be working with the Environment Agency (EA) to develop innovative solutions to tackle single-use plastic pollution in the wider environment. From partnering to make the Big Spring Beach Clean bigger than ever to teaming up with their  pioneering new South West Plastics and Sustainability team to reduce the amount of plastic pollution across land, rivers and the coastline, SAS believe that it is through collaborative relationships such as these that we truly can create plastic free coastlines.

Environment Agency Area Director, Richard Stockdale said: “We are delighted to support our partner Surfers Against Sewage in the Big Spring Beach Clean. If you love where you live then I encourage you to get involved, like so many of Team EA are, myself included.  Spend some time outside with friends, family or colleagues and help make your part of the world a greater place”.

YOUR LOCAL BIG SPRING BEACH CLEAN

BBSBC_17_WebTo find your nearest event head to the SAS ‘Regions and Events’ page at www.sas.org.uk or email beachcleans@sas.org.uk and just head down on the day with a smile, you’ll be extremely welcome!

#BSBC18                   #AvoidablePlastics                          #PlasticFreeCoastlines