In early November 2025, millions of plastic biobeads began washing up along Camber Sands and the Sussex coast — a major pollution event still unfolding today. These pellets, used in wastewater treatment, now litter the dunes and sand of one of Britain’s most fragile coastal habitats.

Camber Sands is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, home to rare plants and wildlife. Each incoming tide spreads more plastic across this protected landscape, while volunteers struggle to remove what they can by hand.

Southern Water has a long record of pollution offences. This time, the damage is visible to everyone. The company must be held fully accountable.

We, the undersigned, call for:

A transparent, independent investigation into the source, cause, and extent of the spill.
A full-scale cleanup operation, funded and managed by Southern Water using appropriate technology.
An immediate review and phase-out of plastic biobeads across all UK wastewater treatment plants.
Long-term environmental monitoring of Camber Sands and surrounding beaches.
This cannot be treated as another corporate apology cycle. It’s a warning about how fragile our ecosystems have become — and how easily preventable this was.

Sign now to demand accountability, transparency, and reform — before the next tide buries the evidence.