Over 500 Nestle Malaysia volunteers participated in beach and ocean clean-ups across the nation, to mark the company’s 110th year in Malaysia.
The beach clean-up drive saw nearly four tonnes of trash collected along six beaches in the country – Pantai Cunang and Pantai Sungai Kajang, Selangor; Pantai Saujana, Negeri Sembilan; Pantai Teluk Bahang, Penang; Pantai Batu Buruk, Terengganu and Pantai Teluk Likas, Sabah.
Underwater clean-up and reef conservation activities were carried out in Pulau Tioman, Pahang and Pulau Mabul, Sabah.
Commemorating Nestle’s 110th year in Malaysia, the team in Pulau Mabul also planted 110 corals, under expert supervision.
Following trash collection, waste separation was carried out according to the types of recyclables, including plastics, and sent for washing and recycling, giving these materials a second life and diverting them away from oceans.
Meanwhile, the non-recyclable materials were sent to a waste-to-energy plant via Nestle’s recycling partner KPT Recycle Sdn Bhd.
The initiative also drew some 70 participants from the Ministry of Environment and Water, which further strengthen the company’s commitment to build public-private partnerships to accelerate the transition to a greener future.
Nestle (Malaysia) Bhd chief executive officer Juan Aranols said the beach and ocean clean-ups allowed its employees to be part of Nestle’s environmental efforts and contribute to the company’s green transition.
“Our beach and ocean clean-ups mean a lot to us as they allow many of our employees to be part of Nestle’s environmental efforts and contribute to the company’s green transition.
“Through this annual activity, in addition to creating great bonds within our teams, we wish to raise awareness and educate the public on the responsible disposal of plastic and other forms of waste.
“With these initiatives in place and clear targets set for our sustainability programmes, we will continue to spearhead a brighter future for all and bring about impactful, positive change for the planet,” said Aranols.
Nestle Malaysia’s beach-clean up activity kicked off in 2019 as an employee volunteer initiative under the company’s Nestle Cares umbrella.
To date, over 12 tonnes of waste have been recovered through the annual beach and ocean clean-up, reflecting the company’s vision to ensure that none of the plastics or packaging materials it uses ends up in oceans.
Nestle Malaysia continues to promote environmental awareness through various initiatives such as its Door-to-Door (D2D) Collection and Recycling Programme and collection of UHT packs for separation, recycling and reuse of the various packaging material components.
Nestle is the first food and beverage company in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region to use 100% recycled resin (rPET) in its range of bottled drinks.
“Protecting our planet requires collective action and we encourage all Malaysians to join us in this journey. Our action to reduce the use of plastics and promote collection, separation and recycling is an important part of our pledge to act on climate change and accelerate our journey towards net zero emissions and plastic neutrality.
“We have already achieved significant progress, and we will double down further on all these programmes,” added Aranols.
