Ever Rich Duty Free gathered 1,300 volunteers for a clean-up drive to celebrate the annual International Coastal Cleanup Day in Taipei on 16 September.
Volunteers collected 3,000 kg of marine waste across 11 locations in Taiwan, from northern to southern regions, including offshore islands Kinmen and Penghu.
Those who joined the initiative included company employees, cooperating partners, brand partners, suppliers, LED lighting firms, charity groups, universities and consumers.
This year’s campaign covered 22.35km of coastline across all Ever Rich business locations in Taiwan, exceeding 1% of the islands’ total coastline length.
Ever Rich has implemented the International Coastal Cleanup data collection forms, categorising marine debris into five major sources. These forms are used for monitoring the cleanup process through data and enhance the educational aspect of the cleanup efforts.
The collected trash and debris included the most commonly found plastic bottle caps. Volunteers also found an increasing amount of discarded face masks, as well as other dangerous items including syringes and even a whole bathtub.
The International Coastal Cleanup Day campaign is part of the company’s wider commitment to combatting marine waste and protecting the environment. A total of 50 beach cleanups were held throughout the year, resulting in the collection of 2,045.53kg garbage, equivalent to a carbon reduction of 10,393.8kg.
This year, Ever Rich Duty Free launched its 1% ESG Action Plan, which includes dedicating 1% of its employees’ time and corporate resources towards sustainable initiatives. It notes that this 1% contribution can collectively become a significant force in environmental protection.
As reported, the company also rolled out an electronics recycling initiative at Taoyuan International Airport in May. Through this move, the retailer is encouraging travellers to recycle their discarded electronics including SIM cards and batteries. Six recycling stations are strategically placed in high-traffic zones across terminals 1 and 2. ✈
