International Coastal Cleanup - The Nation

Sustainability

Achara Deboonme
The Nation September 16, 2012 1:00 am

In Pattaya, the Coca-Cola system in Thailand, inclusive of Coca-Cola (Thailand) Ltd, ThaiNamthip Ltd and Haad Thip Plc is working closely with Thai volunteers and NGOs. Joining them are representatives from Pattaya city and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resource, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The new brand ambassador 'Pancake' and over 900 volunteers will also take part in this activity.

Under the "Live Positively" commitment to make a difference in Thailand, the Coca-Cola System in Thailand pledges to significantly grow its volunteer community and the contribution of hours of community service by 2015. The company will continue to work closely with the other organisations to implement a sustainable framework for the 'Positive Energy' volunteer programme.

On the same day, SCG-Dow Group will also be part of over 20 companies with operations in Rayong, which will join the International Coastal Cleaning Day at Mae Ramphueng Beach. Joining the event on Sept 15, starting from 9pm, are executives and volunteers from the companies as well as the US Embassy in Thailand.

Coca-Cola and Dow Chemical Group have been among corporate sponsors of the cleanup, initiated 27 years ago by a group of ocean lovers formed under "Ocean Conservancy". To them, the ocean sustains human beings, with the food, the air and the climate. Each year, volunteers picked up everything imaginable along the world?s shorelines: cigarette butts, food wrappers, and even the proverbial kitchen sink.

This year's Cleanup will have even greater significance with the anticipation of possible Japan tsunami debris on the West Coast.

Over the first 25 years, over 8.5 million people crossed nearly 300,000 miles collecting 144 million pounds of trash.

By item, cigarette butts/cigarette filters top the list at 52.9 million, or 32 per cent of total. Also on the top 10 list are food wrappers/containers, 14.8 million items or 9 per cent; caps/lids, 13.6 million or 8 per cent; cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, 10 million or 6 per cent; plastic beverage bottles, 9.5 million or 6 per cent; plastic bags, 7.8 million or 5 per cent; glass beverage bottles, 7 million or 4 per cent; beverage cans, 6.75 million or 4 per cent; straws, stirrers, 6.3 million or 4 per cent; and rope, 3.25 million or 2 per cent. These top 10 debris items accounted for 166 million collected worldwide.

"Trash jeopardises the health of our ocean, our economy and people," said David Pittenger, director of Ocean Conservancy's Trash Free Seas programme. "Sometimes there are uncontrollable events - like the Japan tsunami - that add to the larger problem of marine debris. That's why it's important to tackle what's preventable."

"We need more volunteers than ever," Pittenger said. "Last year, volunteers found enough food packaging to get takeout for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for the next 858 years."

Check out www.signuptocleanup.org to find cleanup opportunities.

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Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/International-Coastal-Cleanup-30190475.html

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