Meet our activists fighting plastic pollution: Hazels’ story

Our Ocean Activists are campaigning across the length and breadth of the UK to end plastic pollution in their communities.

Meet Hazel and Keith. Keith first got involved with SAS over 30 years ago. He met Hazel in 2006, found they had a shared passion, and have campaigned together to protect our oceans ever since.

In the early days of SAS, Keith got involved in campaigns to get the government to listen and water companies to stop dumping sewage in our waters. He even attended one of the first Paddle round the Piers in Brighton. Hazel says ‘We were quite the rebels back in the day, as it wasn’t a topic many people were talking about.’

Photo Credit: Brighton & Hove Life Magazine

Then Hazel and Keith started to notice the tide of plastic pollution on beaches across the UK and also abroad. She says “We’ve done beach cleans on every beach we have visited, and have found the same problem. Some places are so bad that when you dig down, there are tiny particles in the sand, and you know they will be there forever.’’

Hazel then got involved with Plastic Free Communities in Rottingdean, where she helped them achieve SAS Plastic Free Communities status. They worked with the local council, schools, allies and businesses to achieve the SAS award and worked with a ‘grab’ team of locals who took part in huge clean-up operations on the seafront. As a team, they were also instrumental in an ongoing campaign to get drinking water fountains re-instated across Brighton.

After moving to Cornwall, she’s now working to get Plastic Free Communities status for Mylor. She supports local businesses to reduce single-use plastic and organises beach cleans. She also connects with other local Plastic Free Communities in her area, all collectively fighting to end plastic pollution where they live.

Hazel and Keith most recently attended one of the Paddle out Protests across the UK. Hazel says “We joined in with our boards and listened to the speeches, the cheers and fist pumps, and we felt truly empowered. Changes are happening and people are listening! We watched more and more people turn up in support, and as we paddled out together we knew we were in the water with people that care. A huge thank you to SAS for making that possible. ‘’

If this has inspired you to take action on single-use plastic in your life, or where you live, here are some links:

• Get started with an Individual Action Plan
• How your school can join Plastic Free Schools
• Sign up your business as a Plastic Free Champion
• Check out the five step community toolkit