University of Brighton nurse turns beach litter into colourful art

Sammie Aplin, an NHS nurse and MSc Advanced Clinical Practice student at the University of Brighton, spends her spare time combing local beaches for discarded plastic, fishing gear, and debris – turning what she finds into colourful, highly personal artworks that highlight both the scale of coastal pollution and the surprising stories hidden within the waste.

Known online as The Plastic Coast, Sammie began collecting beach plastic during the COVID-19 pandemic, when early morning walks along Brighton seafront on her way to hospital shifts became both a creative outlet and a source of calm during one of the most challenging periods of her nursing career.

What began as a personal project has since grown into an internationally recognised creative practice, with commissioned pieces travelling as far as the United States and New Zealand, a waiting list of more than 35 people, and nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram.

Sammie Aplin

From discarded flip flops and children’s beach toys to fishing gear washed ashore after winter storms, Sammie’s beach cleans uncover everything from everyday litter to objects that have spent decades in the marine environment. Around 30 per cent of what she collects is transformed into artwork, with each commission incorporating personal details, memories, and meaningful objects connected to the client.

Sammie said: “What shocks people is how much of what I find hasn’t just been dropped yesterday – some of it has been in the environment for decades. I’ve found packaging from before decimalisation, plastic from the 1970s, and objects that have clearly spent years being shaped by the sea. It really makes you realise this problem doesn’t just disappear.

“As a nurse, my work is deeply rewarding, but it can also be challenging at times. Beach cleaning gives me the chance to switch off, reconnect with nature, and find a sense of balance. What started as picking up a few colourful pieces on my walk to work during COVID turned into something much bigger. Now every piece I create tells two stories – the story of the person I’m making it for, and the story of where that plastic has been.”

Originally from Devon, Sammie says the name The Plastic Coast reflects her connection to the Jurassic Coast, where she grew up spending time by the sea before moving to Brighton more than a decade ago.

After beginning her career as a healthcare assistant at Royal Sussex County Hospital, Sammie has spent the past decade studying and working through multiple stages of professional development at the University of Brighton, progressing from a foundation degree to nursing qualification, and now postgraduate clinical training.

Alongside her clinical career, her artwork has developed a growing international audience through social media, with beach cleaners, friends, and followers now sending her plastic debris from coastlines around the world – including a recent package of beach plastic from Borneo. 

Among her most memorable discoveries are pieces of pre-decimal packaging dating back to before Britain’s currency reform, a toy figure believed to be from a 1930s or 1940s model car set, and a Smarties lid from the 1970s – evidence, she says, of just how long plastic pollution has persisted in the environment. 

While she often cleans independently, Sammie is also part of Brighton’s wider environmental community, working alongside local groups including Leave No Trace and supporting initiatives aimed at recycling discarded fishing gear and reducing marine waste along the city’s coastline.

Recently, Sammie was awarded a People and Planet Prize START Grant from the university’s Student Enterprise team, which supports students and graduates to launch businesses, creative practices, freelance careers, and social enterprises through one-to-one mentoring, workshops, and funding opportunities.

The funding will support the next stage of The Plastic Coast, helping Sammie develop the business side of her growing creative practice while continuing her environmental work.

Against a backdrop of growing concern over plastic pollution on Britain’s coastline, Sammie’s work offers both a creative response and a powerful reminder that some of the waste washing ashore today may remain in the environment for generations.