As plastic waste continues to accumulate in landfills and in our seas, addressing the pollution it causes becomes imperative. In this direction, Nestlé Greece develops and supports actions to deal with the problem of plastic waste and is committed to making a difference.
Mediterranean Cleanup Program
We are collaborating with Enaleia, the first professional fishing school in Greece, in the "Mediterranean Cleanup" program which aims to tackle marine plastic pollution. The bottom of the Greek seas "hosts" an abundance of plastic waste, some of which has been there for decades, causing significant problems for the fauna and flora of the marine ecosystem, while collecting them from the depths in which they are found is a particularly complex process. The challenge is great, as is the need for the development of substantial actions that will contribute to the solution of the problem. For us, for future generations, for the planet. Nestlé Greece supports the "Mediterranean Cleanup" program developed by Enaleia and implemented with the participation of professional fishermen and their fishing boats who use their nets to clean up waste. Our company supports the action by focusing on the Argosaronic region, which is particularly burdened. The program follows the principles of the circular economy as the waste collected is then transported to Ichthyoskala Keratsiniou and Lavrio, areas that are the main ports of accommodation for the professional fishermen of the Argosaronic medium fisheries, to specific storage areas that have been foreseen in order to make the recording and sorting them. The plastic bottles and nets collected are then used to create new objects. Our support for the program started in October 2019 and continues to this day with impressive results. More specifically:
2019 – 2020
- 11,000 kg of waste (8,500 kg of plastic) cleaned from the sea as a result of the cooperation with Nestlé Greece
- 77,000 pairs of socks were created from the nets collected from the sea in collaboration with Nestlé Hellas. The socks are created by the Healthy Seas organization
2020–2021
- 10,300 kg of plastic have been cleaned so far from the Argosaronic region as a result of the cooperation with Nestlé Hellas
In 2021, we extended our collaboration with Enaleia to the Varkiza region for the collection of used fishermen's nets so that they are recycled and do not end up in the sea as ghost nets. Fishermen in Varkiza have collected 3,500 kg of used nets which will be recycled. In total, the fishermen participating in the "Mediterranean Cleanup", have collected 205,276 kg from the sea, of which 171,064 kg of plastics. About 40% of plastics will join the circular economy. The environmental program of the United Nations (UN Environment) has chosen the action of Enaleia among the 5 best actions in Europe in 2019, in terms of positive impact on the environment, while the founder of Enaleia, Lefteris Arapakis, was recognized by the UN Program for the Environment as Young Champion of the Earth 2020.
"We Sea More" Program
For two years now, Nestlé Hellas has been implementing, in collaboration with Polygreen, the innovative "We Sea More" program, which aims to identify, record and remove marine litter using state-of-the-art technology. The aim of the action is the mapping of waste with innovative methods both on the surface and the bottom of the sea, as well as on the coast, as well as their subsequent collection and recycling. The program is the result of multi-level cooperation. The detection of the accumulation of waste is done by the company UcanDrone, which uses technologies such as remote sensing and unmanned detection systems, while the Department of Oceanography and Marine Life Sciences of the University of the Aegean processes this data in order to follow the targeted intervention to remove it as from the bottom, with the participation of professional divers, as well as from the shore, with the participation of volunteers from Nestlé Hellas, Polyeco and the Municipality where the program is implemented.
Results 2020
2020 was the first year of implementation of the program implemented in the Municipality of Palaio Faliro, on the Eden Coast. In the one week that the action lasted, a total of 11 tons of waste were collected from the seabed and the coast, of which:
Tires 10,155 kg,
Combined 400kg,
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals 231kg,
Plastic-132kg,
Glass 23kg,
Aluminum 16kg,
18kg paper,
Wood 25 kg,
Batteries-Lighters 9kg
Hazardous waste 9kg
From the beginning of the project, the aim was to utilize the collected waste based on the principle of the circular economy. Regarding plastics, a total of 132 kg were collected, of which 75% - which was suitable for recycling - was made into pellets. Tires were sent for recycling to a waste tire company, paper and wood were sent to produce alternative fuel and glass as a raw material for the cement industry. At the same time, plastic that was collected was piloted by Nestle Hellas for the creation of waste bins, of different streams, which have been placed in our headquarters.
Results 2021
In 2021, the program was implemented in the Municipality of Vari, Voula, Vouliagmeni and specifically on the beach of Agios Nikolaos in Kavouri. During 5 days we managed to collect from the bottom and the coast:
Plastic: 1,065.5 kg
Combined: 473 kg
Fabric: 455 kg
Scrap (aluminum & metal): 425 kg
Tires: 109 kg
Glass: 91.5 kg
Wood: 69.5 kg
Paper: 23.5 kg
Hazardous waste: 2.5 kg
Hips: 2 kg
Batteries-lighters: 1.5 kg
Total: 2,718 kg
It is worth noting that this particular beach is a pole of attraction for thousands of citizens throughout the year, with the environmental footprint constantly increasing.
