Unilever Bangladesh and Kewkradong partner for Saint Martin's island coastal cleanup

Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL) has partnered with Kewkradong Bangladesh (KB) to conduct Coastal Cleanup at Saint Martin Island. 350 volunteers removed 1,500 kilograms of marine debris from the island's beach and ensured safe disposal on the mainland. The predominant types of debris included food wrappers, plastic beverage bottles, bottle caps, plastic bags, utensils, and lids. 

Kewkradong Bangladesh (KB), Bangladesh's Country Coordinator of the US-based non-profit Ocean Conservancy, has conducted beach cleanups at Saint Martin's Island for the past 13 years. The organisation has been associated with cleanup programmes along the Cox's Bazar - Teknaf peninsula and St. Martin's Island. These initiatives contributed to collecting data on marine debris for the global record and analysis. This year, the initiative gained new momentum with the involvement of UBL, continuing the significant efforts that have mobilised over 5,700 volunteers and removed more than 28,500 kilograms of marine debris from the island's shores.

Shamima Akhter, Director - Corporate Affairs, Partnerships and Communications, Unilever Bangladesh Limited, said, "Since 2020, Unilever Bangladesh has been dedicated to fulfilling its commitment to plastic sustainability through various initiatives. Since 2022, we have collected and processed more plastic than we sell in Bangladesh. However, we recognise that plastic waste pollution is too large of an issue for us to tackle alone. We must collaborate to design scalable systems and interventions to reduce our environmental footprints and protect vulnerable ecosystems like St Martin's Island. This year, in partnership with Kewkradong Bangladesh, the St. Martin Coastal Cleanup engaged youth volunteers and the local community to foster a sense of shared responsibility and demonstrate our commitment to improving the ecosystem."

Muntasir Mamun, Country co-coordinator of Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup, said, "It is a wonderful thing that Bangladesh is the biggest delta on Earth and has incredible sea beaches in various locations. Saint Martin is one of the country's national treasures. However, evolving socioeconomic challenges consistently threaten the biodiversity of the beautiful island and the seashore. We believe Unilever's proactive environmental stewardship will reach a new height as together, our partnership will inspire others to do what's good for Bangladesh."

Unilever Bangladesh has played a significant role in supporting Bangladesh's achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As plastic waste management remains a pressing environmental challenge for Bangladesh, UBL remains dedicated to fostering impactful partnerships.

As pioneers of plastic waste value chain intervention in Bangladesh, Unilever Bangladesh has taken transformative actions to tackle plastic waste management. The company is running the country's largest plastic waste management initiative in Chattogram and has been driving innovation for virgin plastic reduction and refill solutions. Besides, the company is working to raise awareness among consumers all over Bangladesh.