Sustainable Coastlines’ mission to remove litter and restore waterways has been given a refreshing boost by Phoenix Organics, one of New Zealand’s original organic drink companies.

A founding partner of Sustainable Coastlines since 2014, the team at Phoenix Organics took to an Auckland beach and reserve yesterday to remove rubbish purposely discarded or washed ashore. The teams’ collection added to an incredible 1.7 million kilograms (or around 425 elephants!) of litter Sustainable Coastlines has already removed from our beaches and waterways since the charity’s inception in 2009.

Phoenix Organics, which is part of The Better Drinks Company and Asahi Beverages, has also signed an additional three-year gold sponsor partnership with Sustainable Coastlines to ensure the great work the charity delivers the New Zealand environment continues.

NZ CEO Andrew Campbell, who took part in the clean-up, says helping forge a more sustainable future for New Zealand is a key element of Asahi Beverages’ overall business strategy.

“We know it’s important to our people, customers, and consumers to do what we can to reduce the impacts of climate change, use more sustainable packaging, aid the circular economy, and encourage the recycling of our products. That’s why we’re proud to be renewing and extending our partnership with Sustainable Coastlines. We’re also grateful for access to their resources to educate and inform our people on how we can individually do more to support the planet.”

To that end Asahi Beverages is accessing DIY rubbish collection kits from Sustainable Coastlines on top of its partnership extension for its 400 New Zealand employees. The kits will enable employees to collect and remove rubbish from their local parks, beaches, and waterways across the country ahead of summer.

“We have staff based throughout the country,” Campbell explains, “and will be providing everyone with access to collection kits so they can get out with friends or family and do their bit for the environment. This is something our people have asked for. They want to work for an employer doing more in terms of sustainability – they also want to help personally do their bit and our beach clean-ups are a great example of this.”

CEO Sustainable Coastlines Josh Borthwick highlights what a valuable partnership this has been since 2014 and looks to the future with Phoenix Organic's continued support. "Sustainable Coastlines exists to reduce ocean litter together and this mahi is made possible thanks to epic sponsors like Phoenix Organics. They've been with us from the beginning and thanks to their support we enable events across Aotearoa, through delivery and in celebration. We call it the "high-five" effect, when people are buzzing with feel-good energy after a hard days' mahi out on the coast, we like to celebrate over a cold Phoenix Organics drink. Phoenix Organics is a treat for our volunteers, and we're delighted to continue this partnership to reduce coastal litter well into the future.

Phoenix Organics (and the wider Asahi Beverages business) is also a member of the Packaging Forum which is focused on the recovery and recycling of beverage containers (glass, aluminium, and plastic). The recycling and mindful disposal of caps and lids (metal and plastic) is also a target area for the business which recently supported a pilot project (run by Plastics NZ) which saw three tonnes of lids collected across Hawkes Bay schools in 10 weeks.

Campbell says while 70% of glass in New Zealand is recycled through the various kerbside collection schemes and recycling stations around the country, more needs to be done to encourage purchasers of beverage products to ensure empty glass, plastic and aluminium containers are recycled or reused.

“While packaging on our products encourages consumers to recycle them, it’s clear from the work that Sustainable Coastlines is doing, and our most recent beach clean-up, that we, as a company, and Kiwis in general, need to be doing more to protect our amazing environment. We hope our continued support of Sustainable Coastlines, and the DIY collection kits we’re providing our people, go some way towards achieving our shared ambition of a litter-free Aotearoa.”

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