International Coastal Cleanup | 2018
Coca-Cola, Kewkradong clean up St Martin’s Island’s Coastline
Coca-Cola Bangladesh, along with Kewkradong Bangladesh, has cleaned up the beach of St Martin’s Island as part of their global commitment to create a “World Without Waste” by 2030.
They have recently successfully concluded the eighth edition of the coastal cleanup and marine conservation drive along the beach of St Martin’s Island.
The ambitious goal entails facilitating collection and recycling the equivalent of every bottle or can that the company sells globally by the envisioned time frame, says a media release.
Sorting and data entry by the volunteer in the cleanup 2018. Photo © Mustafizur Rahman
The two-day activity was organised in sync with 32nd annual International Coastal Cleanup®, at St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh’s only coral island.
The partnership aims towards paving the way for a sustainable and clean environment along the waterways while also driving discussion to understand the causes of marine debris and raising awareness on the harmful effects of marine littering.
Volunteers from all walks of life, including students, school teachers, and professionals from all over the country, engaged in collection of the waste.
Representatives from Union Parishad along with the Panel Chairman, Md. Abdur Rahman, also took part in the initiative.
The information gathered through the initiative will be uploaded to Ocean Conservancy’s global ocean trash database.
The slogan for this year’s campaign is ‘Pick it up, clean it up, sea change.’
International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteering effort attracting thousands of participants to help collect millions of pounds of waste and debris from beaches, lakes and waterways.
In the last eight years through this initiative by Coca-Cola Bangladesh and Kewkradong Bangladesh, around 4,000 people have volunteered and collected over 9,600 kilograms of marine debris.
This year, 500 volunteers collected 1,200 kgs of marine debris.
Coca cola Bangladesh cleans up St Martin’s Island
This is the eighth edition of the initiative taken by the company to create a ‘World without Waste’
Coca-Cola Bangladesh, in partnership with Keokradong Bangladesh, has recently concluded the eighth edition of the coastal cleanup and marine conservation drive along the beach of St Martin’s Island.
Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life. Microbeads are tiny pieces of polyethylene plastic added to health and beauty products, such as some cleansers and toothpastes.
Photo © Mustafizur Rahman
The initiative is a part of the company’s global commitment to create a “World without Waste” by 2030.
During the event, students, teachers and professionals from all across the nation volunteered to collect and segregate wastes from St Martin’s Island. They also interacted and explained to the beach goers the importance of marine conservation.
This year, 500 volunteers collected 1,200 kg of marine debris. Representatives from St Martin’s Union Parishad also took part in the initiative.
The slogan for this year’s campaign was “Pick it up; clean it up, sea change”. On the second day of the event, notebooks containing awareness messages were distributed amongst the local students of St Martin’s Island.
The two-day activity at St Martin’s Island was organized in sync with the 32nd annual International Coastal Cleanup. International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteering effort, with thousands of participants engaging to help collect millions of pounds of waste and debris from beaches, lakes and waterways.
In the last eight years, through this initiative, Coca-Cola Bangladesh and Keokradong Bangladesh employed 4,000 volunteers to collect 9,600 kg of marine debris.
Coca-Cola Public Affairs and Communications (PAC) Director of Bangladesh, Shamima Akhter said: “The
PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and PS (polystyrene solid) these materials are denser than seawater and likely sink before reaching the open ocean.
Photo © Mustafizur Rahman
scenic beauty of the beautiful coral island of St Martin’s attracts a lot of tourists. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that there is sustained awareness on responsible coastline conservation.
“This is our eighth edition of the coastal cleanup drive,” she said. “We hope that together, we will soon be able to create a world without waste.”
Coca-Cola is committed to the collection and recycling the equivalent of every bottle or can the company sells globally, by the year 2030.
wow, that was a excellent cleanup.