To wrap up Green June actions with a good example to be followed, Port of Açu associates got together to clean up Açu Beach, where the enterprise is located, in São João da Barra. Along with the Sustainability team, volunteers picked up 1,500+ disposable items on the sand, near Terminal 2 (onshore terminal) in the Port Complex. All material collected will be sent out for recycling.
The goal of this activity and others organized by the Port of Açu in June is to bring awareness about conscious consumption and reduced use of plastic products, inspired by the theme of the United Nations campaign for this year, “End Plastic Pollution”. The company sponsored a number of lectures, training and external activities involving this concept.
Wanderson de Sousa, Sustainability manager at the Port of Açu, assured that the environmental awareness move by the company will not be limited to the month of June. “We are very pleased with the results achieved by our campaign and keep our commitment to the environment. We have a Sustainability area in the company for a reason. We will continue to raise key questions, such as the one about plastic, but, most importantly, we will involve everyone in the matter. Caring for the environment is in our DNA, in our policies, and must also be part of each person’s behavior,” he said.
IMG_8450.JPGDuring the month, the Port of Açu also sponsored a plastic collection effort with associates inside the Port Complex. The 500 or so items picked up were used in a recycling workshop set up by the company in a public school in Mato Escuro, on the 5th District. Fourth and fifth-graders participated in a session named “From garbage to luxury: kids version” and produced toys and games using plastic.
Art, Culture and Education consultant Márcio Henrique helped the students to craft the objects: “The activity sought to make students aware of the importance of reutilization and conscious consumption, as well as encourage their imagination and creativity,” he said.
According to the U.N., 5 trillion plastic bags are consumed every year in the planet and 1 million PET bottles are purchased per minute. Furthermore, 13 million tons of plastics end up in the ocean every year, affecting 600,000 marine species, 15% of these threatened with extinction.
