Unilever Bangladesh Limited has partnered with Kewkradong Bangladesh to conduct Coastal Cleanup at the St Martins Island in Cox鈥檚 Bazar.
Three hundred and fifty volunteers removed 1,500 kilograms of marine debris from the island鈥檚 beach and ensured safe disposal in the mainland, said a press release on Monday.
The predominant types of debris included food wrappers, plastic beverage bottles, bottle caps, plastic bags, utensils, and lids.听
Kewkradong Bangladesh鈥檚 country coordinator of the US-based non-profit Ocean Conservancy has been conducting beach cleanups at St Martins Island for the past 13 years.
The organisation has been associated with cleanup programmes along the Cox鈥檚 Bazar - Teknaf peninsula and St Martins Island.
These initiatives contributed to the collection of data on marine debris for the global record and analysis.
This year, the initiative gains new momentum with the involvement of the UBL, continuing the significant efforts that have mobilised over 5,700 volunteers and removed more than 28,500 kilograms of marine debris from the island鈥檚 shores, added the press release.
UBL corporate affairs, partnerships and communications director听 Shamima Akhter听 said that since 2020, Unilever Bangladesh had been dedicated to fulfilling its commitment to plastic sustainability through various initiatives.
鈥楽ince 2022, we have been collecting and processing more plastic than we sell in Bangladesh. However, we recognise that plastic waste pollution is too large of an issue for us to tackle alone,鈥� she added, mention, 鈥榃e must collaborate to design scalable systems and interventions that will reduce our environmental footprints and protect vulnerable ecosystems.鈥�
Muntasir Mamun, country co-coordinator, Ocean Conservancy鈥檚 International Coastal Cleanup, said, 鈥楽t Martins is one of the national treasures of this country. However, evolving socioeconomic challenges are consistently creating a threat to the biodiversity of the beautiful island and the seashore. We believe Unilever鈥檚 proactive environmental stewardship will reach a new height as together, our partnership will inspire others to do what鈥檚 good for Bangladesh.鈥�
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