Plastic waste is both an eyesore and an environmental hazard, and to commemorate World Oceans Day 2019 at the weekend, over 250 Nestlé Nigeria Plc volunteers with their families collaborated with RecyclePoints to clean up some parts of the Okun-Ajah community in Lagos, Nigeria.
At the end of the exercise, the company in a statement said the volunteers had removed 1,500 kg of waste from the beach. Participants worked together to pick up plastic and other wastes found at the beachfront, ensuring proper segregation, weighing and baling of collected materials for proper management.
“Plastic waste is one of the world’s most pressing issues,” said Mauricio Alarcon, managing director and CEO of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, speaking on the significance of the cleanup activity. According to him, through clean up initiatives and other activities, Nestlé aims to play an active role in changing behavior and raising public awareness about reducing plastic waste and recycling more. This is part of the company’s broader vision to achieve a waste-free future.
“Nestlé is committed to leading lasting and impactful change, and we know that there is no better place to start than from within our own Company,” he said.
The World Ocean Day is an annual commemoration providing an opportunity to unite citizens, educate people on the issues relating to the ocean, and encourage them to take action to protect and conserve the ocean. Across its locations worldwide, Nestlé says its employees at all levels observed the day by dedicating their volunteering hours to clean-up activities.
Responding to the plastic waste challenge and striving for zero environmental impact in its operations is described as an integral part of Nestlé’s commitment to creating shared value for shareholders and society. In April 2018, the company had announced its ambition to make 100 per cent of its packaging recyclable or re-usable by 2025. Its vision is that none of its packaging, including plastics, ends up in landfill or as litter.
In Nigeria, the company works alongside other partners in the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) to find creative solutions to managing plastic waste while preventing leakage into the ocean.
