This was a weekend of environmental awareness and protest on Perranporth Beach, with two different events taking place. Saturday saw the Recycled Surf Board Art Installation take shape, while on Sunday a Human Chain was formed in peaceful protest at pollution of the ocean.

Recycled Surf Board Art Installation ~ Saturday the 8th of October 2022

Volunteers in Perranporth collected old and broken surf boards from the beach this summer, with the aim of recycling them. Two hundred and sixty seven and a half boards were collected from the beach, or placed into specially provided recycling bins by visitors.

The collection is part of the Ocean Recovery Project, which is part of Keep Britain Tidy. One of the aims of this project is to reduce the number of cheap bodyboards that flood the beaches across the UK during the summer months.

Cheap boards, imported from China, tend to last for a couple of surf sessions before breaking. 2022 is the first year that Perranporth has benefited from surf board recycling bins.

Recycled Surfboard Art On Perranporth Beach by Jamie Turnbull

Before sending the boards for recycling, members of PACE (Perranzabuloe Action for the Climate Emergency) decided to make an art installation from them - to highlight the reduction in the amount of waste being sent to landfill. As organiser Faye Treffry explained:

“Creating visual pieces from these boards is a way to spread awareness and share the story of the waste impact of these boards and of the single use approach. We hope to inspire change and encourage people to think about hiring boards, using the traditional wooden boards, or buying a more premium board designed to last for many years”.

Recycled Surfboard Art Top Down by Jamie Turnbull

The surf boards were arranged on the beach in a design conceived of by contemporary Cornish artist Vicky Gould.

Human Chain ~ Sunday the 9th of October 2022

On the Sunday morning members of the public created a human chain on Perranporth, from Chapel Rock towards Flat Rocks. The chain, where people linked hands, was a silent protest against pollution of the ocean.

As organiser Gem West explained:

“The human chain is a silent protest against ocean disrespect - from raw sewage spillage to plastic waste. The aim is to make a ripple to help bring about change...

People Get Ready To Form A Human Chain by Jamie Turnbull

Our protest will be sent to companies such as South West Water regarding the raw sewage problem. It will also be sent to MPs and supermarkets regarding single use plastic. Today will hopefully be the beginnings of many more human chains around our coastline.”

Human Chain on Perranporth Beach by Jamie Turnbull

More Information

• PACE
• Ocean Recovery Project
• All You Can Eco
• Perranporth Marine Conservation Group
• Green & Blue
• Vicky Gould

By Jamie Turnbull