Plastic Free Awards
Plastic Free Awards
Plastic Free Awards

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About

The Plastic Free Awards is the coolest environmental awards out there. The ceremony brings together leaders from the anti-plastics movement and recognises champions from all walks of life including young campaigners, community leaders, small businesses, charities, designers, entrepreneurs, sports clubs and schools, with a shared mission of stopping plastic pollution. Founded by Surfers Against Sewage and the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation in 2019, the Plastic Free Awards is an environmental awards ceremony, celebrating innovation and activism tackling a range of environmental issues.

Key Dates

Nominations Close

18th September

Judging

September – October

Shortlist Announced

Early November

Event

25th November

Nominate

You can nominate a friend, a colleague, a family member, someone from your own community or yourself. You could enter the charity, school, business or event that you work for or one that you admire. We don't want to put up any barriers to identifying the most amazing environmentalists out there!

Your Information

Nominee Information

Award Information

Your personal information will be kept private and held securely. By submitting information you are agreeing to the use of data and cookies in accordance with our privacy policy.

Criteria

The judges will be asked to consider the following

Originality/Innovation

Is this an original or ground-breaking project locally, nationally or beyond?

Engagement

What is the scale of engagement for this project, how many people are being mobilised?

Purpose & Vision

What does it aim to achieve?

Impact

What are some successes that this has had already?

Personality and communication

Spreading the word and inspiring others to become ocean activists.

Inclusivity

Does this project actively seeks to include a full representation of the wider society?

Entry Submitted

Thank you for supporting the Plastic Free Awards. Your entry is being processed and you should receive a confirmation email shortly. We wish you the best of luck!

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Categories

Ocean Activist of the Year

Ocean Activist of the Year

Who is leading the charge in addressing in environmental issues; be it climate change, water quality, plastic pollution or rewilding? Are you the activist we’re looking for?

Best Campaign

Best Campaign

What single campaign or project inspires you the most? Do you know of a campaign or project that you think brings about real change? What campaign are you, your organisation or community group most proud of?

Youth Activist

Youth Activist

Do you know someone under 21 who is taking radical action on key environmental issues? Which young voice is winning hearts and minds, and taking the nation by storm?

Innovation and Design

Innovation and Design

What is the best plastic free innovation you’ve seen? Nominate inventors, businesses, entrepreneurs, designers and big thinkers.

Media Award

Media Award

What print, internet, film and broadcast media is highlighting key issues and success stories to the wider public? Who I continuing relevant conversation at a mainstream level?

Sporting for Change

Sporting for Change

Is your local sports club leading the charge on environmental issues? From community football club to Olympic Champion, who is changing attitudes towards environmental protection.

Business Leader

Business Leader

Have you got a high street full of plastic free options? Refill stores, greengrocers, butchers, bakers – we want to know who’s doing a brilliant job of freeing your community from single-use plastics.

Change Maker

Change Maker

Researchers, scientists, academics, institutions, are stepping up to provide solutions to everyday environmental issues. Nominate the best ones you’ve seen here.

Plastic Free Creative

Plastic Free Creative

Who has raised awareness of environmental issues through their creative medium? Do you know someone who has composed a song, written a story or produced artwork to inspire people to take action on plastic? Nominate musicians, sculptors, painters, authors and other creatives?

Events and Festivals

Events and Festivals

More and more events and festivals are reducing their footprint. From local deposit return schemes on cups to straw-free festivals, we’ve seen it all and we’d love to know your favourite!

Community Award

Community Award

Communities in villages, towns and cities are coming together to protect the environment. What is the strongest environmental community movement you know?

Schools Champion

Schools Champion

Which school is getting straight A’s for their fight against environmental issues?

Judges

Lucy Siegle Lucy Siegle

Lucy Siegle

Writer and journalist

Richard Walker Richard Walker

Richard Walker

Managing Director of Iceland Foods

Hugo Tagholm Hugo Tagholm

Hugo Tagholm

CEO of Surfers Against Sewage

Dr Cliff Kapono Dr Cliff Kapono

Dr Cliff Kapono

Professional surfer and scientist

Dan Crockett Dan Crockett

Dan Crockett

Writer and conservationist

Inka Cresswell Inka Cresswell

Inka Cresswell

Marine Biologist

Sian Sutherland Sian Sutherland

Sian Sutherland

Co-founder of campaign group A Plastic Planet

Dr Paula Owen Dr Paula Owen

Dr Paula Owen

Environmental campaigner and author

Amy Meek Amy Meek

Amy Meek

Environmentalist and co-founder of Kids Against Plastic

Ella Meek Ella Meek

Ella Meek

Environmentalist and co-founder of Kids Against Plastic

Liz Bonnin Liz Bonnin

Liz Bonnin

Science, Natural History and Environmental Broadcaster

Gillian Burke Gillian Burke

Gillian Burke

BBC Wildlife presenter and biologist

Lucy
Siegle

Lucy Siegle

Writer and journalist

British journalist and writer, Lucy is a leading voice on environmentalism. Specialising in communicating earth science and environmental stories and ethical consumerism, she has spent over a decade investigating the environmental and social footprint of the global fashion industry. She is also known as a reporter and presenter on BBC1’s ‘The One Show’, and has been reporting on the problem of single-use plastics since the show began in 2007.

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Richard
Walker

Richard Walker

Managing Director of Iceland Foods

In 2012, Richard joined Iceland Foods – the company established by his parents Malcolm and Rhianydd in 1970. Now Managing Director, Richard has taken the board lead on sustainability issues across the group. Under his leadership, Iceland has taken on a range of world-leading sustainability initiatives that include becoming the first major retailer globally to commit to eliminating single-use plastic packaging from its own label range, to be completed by the end of 2023.

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Hugo
Tagholm

Hugo Tagholm

CEO of Surfers Against Sewage

CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, Hugo became involved with the charity back in 1991, a year after its inception, as a passionate surfer and beach enthusiast. Taking over the helm in 2008, he has utilised his experience as an activist, regional rep and trustee within the charity to shape the current strategy and build a sustainable action plan for years to come.

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Dr Cliff
Kapono

Dr Cliff Kapono

Professional surfer and scientist

Cliff is a professional surfer, chemist and journalist. Born on the eastern shores of Hawai‘i, his life involves equal parts science as it does surf. While contributing several peer-reviewed publications to the fields of molecular bioscience, he has also produced a handful award-winning films that discuss indigenous activism and ocean conservation. He has been profiled in publications such as The New York Times, NBC, CBS, Surfer Magazine, and more. Cliff is currently based in Hilo, Hawai‘i and can be found tinkering in the lab when not chasing the best waves on the planet.

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Dan
Crockett

Dan Crockett

Writer and conservationist

Writer and conservationist, Dan started working in marine conservation after freediving in the Orkney Islands and realising the extraordinary marine biodiversity (and absence of it) in our waters. As Development Director of Blue Marine Foundation, he supports project development and overall organisational growth, while also directing projects focused on the high seas and national marine parks.

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Inka
Cresswell

Inka Cresswell

Marine Biologist

Inka Cresswell is a B.Sc Marine Biologist and Wildlife filmmaker/photographer. She uses her camera to educate the general public about marine conservation issues, reconnect people with nature and works to change people's perspectives of some of our most misunderstood species. She hopes that her work will not only educate and inspire a new generation of conservationists but arm them with the tools they need to educate others and drive real conservation impact.

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Sian
Sutherland

Sian Sutherland

Co-founder of campaign group A Plastic Planet

Co-founder of campaign group A Plastic Planet, a global social impact movement with a single goal – to ignite and inspire the world to turn off the plastic tap – Sian is a multi-award winner and well-known in the environmental world. Her passion is about igniting social change by creating brands, campaigns and businesses with soul.

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Dr Paula
Owen

Dr Paula Owen

Environmental campaigner and author

Environmental campaigner and eco-innovator, Paula is a specialist in environmental sustainability, behavioural change and engagement. She has over two decades of expertise in the environmental sustainability sector, with a PhD in climate change atmospheric science from the University of Oxford. The author of numerous environmentally-related publications, for the past six years Paula has been an Expert Evaluator for the Horizon 2020 EU Commission funding mechanism.

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Amy
Meek

Amy Meek

Environmentalist and co-founder of Kids Against Plastic

Amy is a passionate environmentalist who started her action against plastic waste at 12 years old. Alongside her work with Kids Against Plastic, Amy is a keen writer, penning pieces for newspapers such as the Daily Mirror, and advises as part of the University of Hull’s EEI Youth Advisory Board.

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Ella
Meek

Ella Meek

Environmentalist and co-founder of Kids Against Plastic

Ella is a campaigner for the reduction of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways, having started her activism journey at only 10 years old. She is an animal lover through and through, with seeing the horrific pictures of animals entangled in plastic being one of the key reasons for her passion in tackling plastic waste.

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Liz
Bonnin

Liz Bonnin

Science, Natural History and Environmental Broadcaster

With a Masters in Wild Animal Biology, Liz has presented over 40 primetime TV programmes, including the BBC’s Bafta-Award winning Blue Planet Live, Super Smart Animals, Galapagos and Horizon. Her recent work includes investigating the ocean plastic crisis with the Landmark documentary ‘Drowning in Plastic’ which raised the level of public debate on this important topic and won a prestigious RTS Award.

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Gillian
Burke

Gillian Burke

BBC Wildlife presenter and biologist

BBC wildlife presenter Gillian is a biologist with an eye and an ear for storytelling. She joined the much-loved BBC seasonal wildlife series ‘The Watches’ in 2018, and is now co-presenting Winterwatch, Springwatch and Autumnwatch alongside hosts Chris Packham, Iolo Williams & Megan McCubbin. Based in Cornwall, she is also the patron of the Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust and an active volunteer of the Marine Strandings Network, rescuing stranded marine mammals and seabirds.

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Surfers Against Sewage

We are a national marine conservation and campaigning charity.

We have been at the forefront of plastic pollution campaigning for over a decade, empowering hundreds of thousands of beach clean volunteers, founding the Plastic Free Communities movement, delivering award-winning campaigns and helping create positive change including the plastic bag charge and the commitment to deposit return schemes.

Our Mission

To create ocean activists everywhere.

Our vision

Thriving ocean, thriving people.

Our Values

The ever-growing SAS community believes in staying connected with the ocean. To strengthen this bond, we live by four core values, that matter deep down, to us all.

Open

Together, we're passionate, down to earth campaigners, born out of the community, with a deep unrelenting love of the ocean. We believe in building diverse, inclusive and active communities.

Dynamic

We are dynamic, active, energetic doers. From the beaches to the front benches, we bring people together, empowering them to get stuck in and make real change happen.

Authentic

We are human, doing our best. When we don't get things right, we learn from it. We believe in authenticity. You can't fake trust.

Creative

We are creative and entrepreneurial. We move fast, think far and believe the future is bright. From our humble home, we make waves (of all shapes and sizes) to improve our greatest gift. A healthy ocean = a healthy society.

For more information and to join the movement visit:

www.sas.org.uk

Founders

SAS

We're a community dedicated to the protection of oceans, waves, beaches and wildlife. We fight long and hard to protect what we love and we won't stop until it's completely clean, safe and protected for everyone, forever. From humble beginnings in Porthtowan Village Hall in 1990, we've stayed close to our roots and continue to be based just up the road at our St Agnes HQ where we can keep an eye on the sea.

Iceland

IFCF has donated over £30m to good causes in the UK in the last 20 years. Through our 'Dementia: let's beat it' campaign we have focused on fundraising for dementia research, donating £10m to help fund construction of the new UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, £5m to Alzheimer's Research UK and £1.5m to Alzheimer's Society. Our 'Backyard Nature Campaign' has inspired 750,000 hours for children in nature. Our work with Sepsis Trust has seen the development of two life saving campaigns 'Schools Against Sepsis' and 'Sepsis Savvy'. We are delighted to continue our partnership with Surfers Against Sewage via these awards and as lead partner of the Million Mile Clean.
www.ifcf.org.uk

Sponsors

Knight Frank
Iceland

Event

The 2022 awards will be held at the beautiful Bristol Museum and Art Gallery on Friday the 25th November. A drinks reception will be followed by a three course sit down meal and the awards ceremony.

Connect

Surfers Against Sewage
Wheal Kitty Workshops, St Agnes, Cornwall, TR5 0RD

01872 553 001 Email Instagram Facebook

Registered in England and Wales No. 2920815
Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1145877

© 2020 Surfers Against Sewage. All Rights Reserved

Not long left!

There’s not long left to nominate, entries close on 26th March! When you submit a nomination, your name will be automatically entered into our free prize draw to win a Firewire surfboard. Don’t miss out, nominate today!

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