Apex launches Ceres clean-up project |27 June 2022

Mr Crutzen hands over he bins to Mr Barra (Photo: Joena Meme)

A project to rally different groups of volunteers in the community to clean several beaches and trails in the country over the coming months was launched at the Beau Vallon promenade on Saturday morning.

An initiative of Apex, the distributor of Ceres juice and other products, the Ceres clean-up project aims to encourage members of the public to volunteer their time to help clean beaches and trails in different parts of the country.

People who want to volunteer can also register online at apex.sc/cerescleanupproject. The first 20 persons to register for each clean-up event will receive a cap and shirt.

Ceres juices and snacks will be provided during the clean-ups.

Over the coming months clean- ups will take place as follows: August 20 Anse Major Trail, September 24 Anse Royale beach, October 22 Copolia Trail, November 19 Au Cap beach, and December 17 Salazie Trail.

Launching the first clean-up on Saturday, the general manager of Apex, Eric Crutzen, said the aim of the project is to collect all the trash that people leave behind after their outings and to encourage them to keep our environment clean and healthy.

“We want people to be conscious of their actions and to always think of our environment. Ceres itself has replaced the plastic straws on its juices by paper ones and this is very good news for our environment,” Mr Crutzen said.

He went on to thank the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, the LWMA and all their other partners and the  different groups who have volunteered to take part in the first clean-up at Beau Vallon. These include the police, Kilogame, Parley for the Oceans among others.

“We always appreciate these kinds of partnerships from the private sector. While we try to do our best to keep all the beaches and other public places clean, a few extra hands are always welcome and it makes the work easier,” said Sheils Barra, the chief executive of the LWMA.

He noted that while contractors are responsible to keep the beaches spotless everyday, unfortunately a lot of rubbish are dumped in the vegetation away from the beach.

For his part the principal secretary for environment, Denis Matatiken, also welcomed the initiative by Apex and he has called on beach users to take their responsibility and to properly dispose of their rubbish.

“Often it is the same people who dump their rubbish carelessly everywhere who complain that public places are dirty,” Mr Matatiken remarked.

Alvania Lawen, representative of Parley for the Oceans, a group which focusses on removing plastic wastes on the beaches and the ocean, has called on members of the public to avoid using plastics , intercept plastic wastes that are already scattered in the environment and to redesign their mindsets through education so they realise that tackling and disposing of  plastic wastes is very difficult.

Also during the launch of the project Mr Crutzen handed over two bins to Mr Barra to be placed  at ideal spots to collect pet bottles and cans.

Marie-Anne Lepathy