World Ocean Day 2025: Running Toward a Cleaner Coastline

Nathalia Fisher
Jun 4
4 min read

This World Ocean Day 2025, we’re not just talking about protecting the ocean — we’re doing something about it.

The ocean isn’t some abstract blue space “over there.” It’s in us. In our breath. In our blood. It’s not separate from our lives — it is our life. And if we’re still pretending we can keep polluting it without consequence, we’re not just mistaken. We’re in danger.

Which is why, on 8th June, Luke Douglas-Home — The Coastline Runner — is running from Southwold to Lowestoft, collecting plastic waste as he goes.

He’ll be cheered off by the Mayor of Southwold. And he’ll be using the run not just to gather rubbish, but to gather momentum.

“I love these mayors of coastal towns, because they know the problem and want to help and get involved!” Luke says

Because this isn’t just any run — it’s a warm-up for something bigger.

Setting the Standard: A Lowestoft Beach Clean on 4th July 2025

*The Coastline Runner – environmentalist Luke Douglas-Home - alongside St Mary's RC Primary School pupils and the mayor of Lowestoft, Nasima Begum, in last year’s event (Image: Mick Howes)*

On Friday 4th July 2025, we’re bringing together the local community, schools, councils, environmental experts, and businesses for a major summer beach clean in Lowestoft — right where Luke’s World Ocean Day run will end.

The event is called ‘Setting the Standard’, and that’s exactly what it aims to do: set the environmental benchmark for UK seaside towns this summer. With a full clean-up, responsible waste disposal, and measurable impact, this event showcases how collective action can work — across education, business, local government, and our community.

This isn’t just about picking up litter (although yes, there’ll be bags of it). It’s about:

Teaching school children how plastic pollution works — and how they can help stop it.
Working with councils who understand their beaches are on the frontline.
Collaborating with the waste industry to dispose of waste responsibly.
And bringing local volunteers into the bigger picture: cleaner coastlines, circular thinking, and systemic change.

We’ll be using Surfers Against Sewage safety protocols, and our results will be reported and shared. Because this isn’t a one-off — it’s a model, a statement, and yes — a standard.

Why the Ocean Needs Us — Now

You’ve probably heard that over half the oxygen we breathe comes from microscopic ocean plankton. But here’s the twist: those same plankton are now being found with microplastics inside them.

That’s what Luke sees on the coastline. Not just bottles and wrappers — but the evidence of a broken system. One that treats the ocean like a bin, not a breathing partner in life.

Plastic pollution is now harming the ocean’s ability to function. That means less oxygen, more climate chaos, more chemicals in our food chain. And that’s not “somewhere else’s” problem — it’s ours.

We need to stop waiting for someone else to fix it.

What The Coastline Runner Is All About

Luke has made it his mission to run the UK coastline, picking up plastic as he goes and partnering with councils, schools, and communities to demand systemic change.

From these individual runs to national media appearances, the goal is simple: to collect rubbish, yes — but more importantly, to expose where it’s coming from, why it keeps turning up, and what needs to change upstream to stop it.

That’s what both the 8th June run and the 4th July event represent: visible action, real connection, and a whole lot of determined effort to protect the places we love — and the systems we depend on.

Watch: Why Our Plastic Problem Is Systemic — and How We Can Fix It

If we want real change, we have to understand the system behind the problem. Luke’s new short film, Why Our Plastic Problem Is Systemic — and How We Can Fix It, breaks down how plastic pollution starts long before it hits the sand — and what needs to change in business, policy, and public behaviour to stop it at the source.

The film is a call to arms — a reminder that clean-ups are crucial, but unless we change the structures producing all this waste, we’re just mopping up a flood with a teaspoon. Watch, share, and use it as a talking point this World Ocean Day 2025.