Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept.23 /Trend/
Within the framework of the Annual International Coastal Cleanup Day, more than 3,5 tons of litter and debris was removed from the coastal area in Mardakan. The event was held on 21st of September and was initiated by The Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company has been supporting it all over the world for 28 years already. This year the event is supported by the National Olympic Committee, Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy, "Yarat!" Contemporary Art Space, "ASAN service", JSC "Təmiz Şəhər", Green Baku club, "Friends of Nature" club, online magazine for youth ALLmag and Educational center BLBS.
The event caused a big interest among Baku population and involved around 350 volunteers.
"When we started this campaign, our aim was not only to clean the beaches, but also to support environmentally friendly behavior. If you follow the history of the Coastal Cleanup in Azerbaijan, you would notice how the number of people grew every year, as well as the number of littered beaches in Absheron dropped. We are happy that this campaign, in Azerbaijan, is so successful! We express our deep gratitude to those, supporting us throughout the years and show their civil position, which everyone should follow for the sake of safe environment." - stated Coca-Cola Operations Manager in Azerbaijan Gabil Ahmedov.
Commenting on the initiative, Executive Vice-Rector of ADA, Fariz Ismayilzade said: "For Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy the support in the implementation of this project is the index of recognition of "green responsibility" that we have been carrying out since our inception."
The campaign was held under the "Pick it Up. Clean it Up. Sea Change!" slogan. In addition to the Coastal Cleanup, there was the exhibition of few works of Azerbaijani contemporary artists that had been earlier presented at "Participate Public Art Festival 2013", organized by "Yarat!" Contemporary Art Space.
The coast of the Mardakan village was cleaned of plastic and glass bottles, cans and other litter and debris. Participants were provided with transport, branded T-shirts, as well as cold beverages, lunch, and cleaning items by the Coca-Cola Company
The International Coastal Cleanup day is The Coca-Cola Company's premier litter abatement partnership and the world's largest single-day volunteer effort to eradicate litter and debris from beaches, inland waterways and oceans. In 2012 in the frames of the same action, Shuvelan coastline was cleaned up. All over the world, 24 thousand of the Coca-Cola Company friends from 27 countries joined the initiative, what resulted in 2,1 thousand km of coastline being cleaned up. And this number increases every year.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
