Coca-Cola Vietnam and The Ocean Cleanup today announced that the Can Tho river in Can Tho City has been selected as one of 15 river locations around the world as part of a global partnership between the two organizations to use advanced technology to help stem the tide of plastic pollution entering oceans, by first intercepting and cleaning up waste in rivers.

In 2021, The Coca-Cola Company became a global implementation partner for The Ocean Cleanup’s river project. The partnership brings the beverage company and the technological non-profit organization together in an exciting partnership to help clean up some of the world’s major rivers.

In addition to supporting the deployment of cleanup systems, the partnership also aims to engage and bring together industry and members of the public to help tackle plastic pollution. Using solar-powered technology, The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor™ river cleanup solution is a robot that extracts marine debris. The original Interceptor™ was unveiled in 2019 and is the first scalable solution to prevent plastic from entering the world’s oceans from rivers.

After years of planning, the Interceptor™ known as 003 or René, was launched into the Can Tho river for detailed testing last month. It is expected to become fully operational over the next few months, and is capable of extracting up to 50,000 kg of trash per day.

The river cleanup project deployment in Vietnam was made possible by the implementation support from the People’s Committee of Can Tho and the Can Tho Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE). Alongside the river cleanup, the partnership is also working with DoNRE and local operators to conduct river waste research to scale up the project where appropriate.

“We expect that this river cleanup project will make an important contribution to help the city improve the capacity and efficiency in waste collection, segregation and treatment; at the same time, prevent and thoroughly collect waste, especially plastic waste floating on some major river routes in the Can Tho city,” said Mr. Nguyễn Chí Kiên, Vice Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Can Tho city. “At the same time, this project will greatly contribute to Can Tho City’s goal towards an ecological and modern city, imbued with the identity of rivers and the Mekong Delta, visioning by 2030. To get there, we are looking forward to joining hands of non-profit organizations, private sectors and Can Tho citizens in such environmental protection projects, maintaining our position as an “ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable City” – one of the most remarkable titles that was honorably given to Can Tho City.”

As part of the global implementation partnership, Coca-Cola in Vietnam will support the development of waste management solutions for collected debris and provide local support to The Ocean Cleanup such as engagement with local stakeholders.

“The Ocean Cleanup’s mission is to rid the oceans of plastic,” said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO, The Ocean Cleanup. “I am happy to see progress and our first steps together with Coca-Cola on the road to tackling the complex plastic pollution problem in the vast Mekong Delta and its sensitive ecosystems. This is good news for the oceans.”

As part of its World Without Waste vision, The Coca-Cola Company is working to ensure that all of the material it uses in its packaging is collected and recycled, so that none of it ends up as waste. The Company has a global goal to help collect and recycle every bottle and can they sell by 2030.

In Vietnam, Coca-Cola is helping to support and drive locally relevant collection and recycling solutions. Coca-Cola Vietnam was one of the founding members of Packaging Recovery Organisation (PRO) Vietnam, a partnership with other leading companies, recyclers and government agencies to accelerate local packaging collection and recycling in support of a clean and green Vietnam.

“Right now, our packaging is among the waste that can be found in the ocean. This is unacceptable to us. We want to support partners and technologies that help to clean up our oceans and rivers, especially the Mekong river system – one of the critical river systems in ASEAN that flows to oceans. Through innovation and partnership, we’re also working to create circular solutions for the collection and recycling of our bottles in Vietnam. That’s why we’re very excited about this new partnership with The Ocean Cleanup in Vietnam, starting in our beautiful Can Tho river, and we’re looking forward to making a lasting impact through this work,” said Leonardo Garcia, General Manager, Coca-Cola Vietnam and Cambodia.

For more information about The Ocean Cleanup visit their website by clicking here.

With concern for the climate crisis and health of the planet at an all-time high, the Marine Conservation Society suggests resolutions for an ocean and planet-friendly 2022.

Four in 10 people said climate, environment and pollution were a major issue for Britain in a recent poll* – the highest ever score for the topic since it was included in Ipsos MORI’s issues index in October 1988.

Take action to help clean up the ocean

With 62% of respondents in a recent survey saying they were very or extremely concerned about plastic pollution in the UK**, it’s understandable that people want to play their part in fighting it.

The Marine Conservation Society’s beach cleaning programme operates year-round, with beach cleans available to join as a volunteer, or organise for friends, family or colleagues.

Joining a beach clean with the charity also supports the Marine Conservation Society’s campaigning work. Volunteers collect litter and record what they find, feeding into more than 25 years of data.

To make a real difference to the state of the UK’s seas, make a resolution to help clear up the coast with the Marine Conservation Society. Find more details, and a beach clean near you, here.

Go ‘climatarian’

Looking carefully at where your food comes from and choosing sustainable options, is an impactful way to reduce your impact on the environment.

In Waitrose and Partners’ Food and Drink Report 20021-22 the supermarket identified climatarianism as a trend for 2022.

If you are buying seafood (or meat or dairy), be sure to shop mindfully. Consider how it was caught or farmed and where.

The Good Fish Guide is an easy-to-use resource to search for the most sustainable seafood options; choose seafood rated green on the Guide to minimise your impact on the marine environment and help protect blue carbon stores.

The Guide is downloadable from www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide, and available offline.

Some low carbon seafood options include:

–       UK farmed shellfish such as mussels

–       Handline-caught mackerel (from southwest UK)

–       Anchovies from northern Spain

Become a citizen scientist

Getting involved in projects which provide data and insight to scientists is a fantastic way to proactively help protect the ocean and planet. Everyone can become a citizen scientist, and the Marine Conservation Society has various different projects to get involved with:

–         Big Seaweed Search: seaweed tells scientists a lot about the state of the sea. By learning what species of seaweed can be found where around the UK coast, scientists can better understand things like ocean warming and acidification. Simply download the survey form, head to the coast and identify what seaweed you see.

–         Wildlife sightings: amazing wildlife is regularly spotted around the UK, and identifying what animals are coming to our shores really helps scientists understand the impacts of climate change on wildlife. If you see jellyfish or turtles when at the coast, let the Marine Conservation Society know via this sightings page.

–         Beach cleaning: the charity’s year-round beach cleaning programme asks volunteers to clear and survey the UK’s beaches of litter. Support by arranging your own beach clean, or find one near you.

What’s more, research has shown that time by the sea brings real benefits for people’s health and wellbeing. Spending more time by the sea, or looking after it, is a resolution that not only supports the fight against the climate crisis, but also supports physical and mental wellbeing.

Explore the Marine Conservation Society’s Our Blue Heart project, and find ways to get involved at the coast on the charity’s website.

Join a community of ocean optimists

By supporting the Marine Conservation Society, members help the charity fight for the future of the ocean.

The charity’s campaigns, supported by members, have had real results on the health of the ocean. Thanks to data gathered by volunteers, and policies campaigned for by members, there’s been a 55% drop in plastic bags on UK beaches since charges were introduced in 2011.

Learn more about becoming a Marine Conservation Society member on the charity’s website.

Dive (or snorkel) in

The Marine Conservation Society’s Seasearch programme works with volunteer divers and snorkellers in UK and Irish seas and offers an exciting way to learn about marine life while playing a part in protecting and restoring the ocean.

Volunteers collect information about habitats, plants and animals underwater, and help track the health of the ocean.

Seasearch offers training at different levels, from absolute beginners to experts so anyone can get started or extend their skills. This training provides the skills to be a biological recorder (Seasearch is not a dive school).  Once trained, volunteers can collect records independently or on organized trips.

To learn more about Seasearch, please visit www.seasearch.org.uk