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| Souleymane Hamed (L) of Coca-Cola and volunteers collect garbage on Thuy Van Beach in Vung Tau on Saturday - Photo: Mong Binh |
Marketing manager of Coca-Cola Indochina, Souleymane Hamed joined the volunteers as they collected non-biodegradable trash and plastic bags and bottles along a three kilometer stretch of beach in the coastal resort town near HCMC.
Hamed said he was excited about the response to the campaign held by Coca-Cola Vietnam in association with the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Youth Culture House.
“A lot of volunteers have come to collect the garbage. It’s great to see the youth’s commitment to the environment and their enthusiasm for making our life better,” Hamed told the Daily while the volunteers filled up big bags with garbage they had collected.
Hamed said it was crucial for the youth to take care of the environment, and this point was echoed by Tran Anh Nam, a fourth-year student from the University of Mining and Geology.
“The environment is very important to our life. Our life is healthy if we have a clean environment,” Nam said, adding the youth have a very important role to play to stop people littering Vietnam’s beaches.
Nam said he expected the action he and other volunteers took last Saturday would encourage more people to put garbage into the public dustbins.
Less garbage thrown into the environment meant less direct impact on the daily life of locals creating a better image of Vietnam for international visitors, Hamed said after he announced Coca-Cola Vietnam’s donation of 15 benches to Vung Tau City.
Coca-Cola Vietnam said over 300 volunteers joined the 2010 International Coastal Cleanup campaign in three beach cities in the country to improve the marine debris issue and raise public awareness of environmental protection.
On September 19, more than 150 volunteers cleaned Do Son Beach in Haiphong City and Son Tra Beach in Danang City as part of the International Coastal Cleanup in Vietnam this year.
The cleanup also aims to collect data of the specific types of litter and marine debris that was collected to provide information on marine pollution that can be used in public education campaigns.
Globally run by the Ocean Conservancy since 1986, the International Coastal Cleanup usually takes place in mid-September. In 2010 which is the 15th year of the partnership of Coca-Cola and the environmental education organization, the leading beverage company expected to mobilize 50,000 volunteers across 40 countries and territories for the beach cleanup event.
“Every year, we are inspired by this event, and encouraged to continue to improve our sustainable packaging strategy so that we can help protect the environment,” said Martin Gil, general manager of Coca-Cola Indochina. He added this would bring together global communities to keep the ocean clean.
