Having grown up in Cornwall, working in his parents’ shops in Looe, Sam spent the early part of his career between working at the Eden Project and completing a Masters of Research in Sustainable Futures at the University of Exeter, where he explored people's behaviours connected to plastic use and how to stop plastic entering the sea.

He said: “Discarded plastic became an obsession. For my projects I was finding it on the coast and tracking back where it came from. The more I searched, the less I had to, plastics were everywhere. We live submerged in them and yet are rarely consciously aware of them, much like fish in water.”

As part of his research over the years, Sam realised that Cornwall's coastline faces deep-running pressures. As well as significant climate and ecological changes such as increased flooding, the disappearance of local species, and cliff erosion, plus an already very altered coast from old mining pollution, dredged sea beds and threats from over fishing and fish farming, Sam believes Cornwall needs the forward-thinking minds of more young people, who are willing to take risks and live life differently to tackle incoming challenges.“

Added on top of this, Cornwall's coast faces the global challenge of oceanic plastic pollution,” Sam continued. “Specifically here it's fishing gear (70% of plastic by mass that we find). Once it finally breaks down, it still poses a threat, entangling, choking and accumulating as micro-plastic into the bodies of wildlife — and, worryingly, those who eat seafood."

In 2017, Sam began developing ways to repurpose the plastic found into jewellery, launching his website and wholesale launch in 2020.

Sam added: “By transforming ocean waste into purposeful, long-lasting products, we turn pollution into part of the solution. The funds raised directly support clean-up teams, recyclers, and creators, enabling continuous recovery work and lasting environmental change.”

In 2025, Sam was named a 30 Under 30 winner, an award that recognises 30 of Cornwall's most innovative young business people and celebrates the next generation of leaders shaping the Duchy’s future.

He said: “It was honestly amazing to have been recognised for our plastic recycling and recovery work here in Cornwall, after years of being against the grain - earning two degrees to go digging plastic rubbish out of river mud, pulling fish bones out of old fishing nets and untangling knots of plastic ropes.”

Sam added: “The real recovery of plastics requires more investment in picking, cleaning and sorting as well as special machines to work with. Recycling on land won't tackle the existing plastic in the ocean. There are no easy hacks; we have to do the hard dirty work and recover the plastics we put in the sea.”

Visit behaviourchangecornwall.co.uk for more information.