Surfers Against Sewage becomes newest Geckota partner

Surfers Against Sewage is a marine conservation and campaigning charity that inspires, unites and empowers communities to take action to protect our seas, beaches and marine wildlife. They aim to create environmental activists everywhere, and just like you – they love our oceans. SAS want to see them better protected for the future of everyone and do this by focusing on creating great community projects and campaigns anyone can get involved with.

SAS were borne out of people’s visceral connection with the sea and their response to the pollution ruining our UK coastlines, whether that be sewage pollution or throwaway plastics. This direct connection with the ocean is what makes the charity unique and drives their mission for cleaner seas.

One Million Mile Clean Up in Perranporth - Image credit Surfers Against Sewage.

They have made great progress cleaning up our beaches from sewage, but they are more than what their name suggests. Cleaning our seas remains in the DNA of the organization and work on wider issues including climate change, water quality, coastal development, and plastic pollution – a huge issue we are all facing that needs a lot more attention.

Some of their greatest successes so far include:

• A campaign win for an ‘all-in deposit return scheme’ to be implemented in Scotland, to encourage drink containers to be returned to retailers to be recycled. SAS are working to get this scheme implemented in England too.
• Launching their 2021 Brand Audit, naming and shaming the ‘Dirty Dozen’ top packaging polluting companies in the UK.
• Single-use bans on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton-bud sticks.
• Exponential engagement, with over 100,000 beach clean volunteers and plastic citizen scientists taking part in SAS actions. The organisation has had a record reach, receiving airtime and newspaper headlines for their campaigns.

SAS Sea Creature outside Houses of Parliament - Image credit Surfers Against Sewage.

Surfers Against Sewage is a 300,000 people strong community, built on education, beach cleans, campaigns, parliamentary events and advocacy to create the change we want to see for the future, united for our coastlines.

Our team here at Geckota have worked with Surfers Against Sewage in the past, participating in our own litter pick-up for the charity around our local community in Tewkesbury back in July last year – and we are excited to be working with Surfers Against Sewage again! This time we’ve set our sights to making an even bigger difference with a new collaboration, so watch this space! More details to follow soon.