Eco Barge Clean Seas Inc. has removed a staggering 238,796kg of marine debris/litter from the Whitsunday Region since 2009.

Eco Barge Clean Seas Inc. is a not-for-profit environmental organisation, established in Airlie Beach, QLD, to engage the community to protect the marine life and aquatic environment of the Whitsunday Region by:

1. Removing marine debris to reduce its impacts
2. Reducing land-based litter and littering behaviour to prevent the occurrence of local marine debris
3. Recycling and transforming ocean plastics to reduce landfill
4. Providing care for sick and injured marine turtles

This was initially undertaken with the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program to remove marine debris from the highly impacted beaches of the Whitsunday Islands. It now also includes reducing the amount of debris that enters our waterways through the Clean Streets and Creeks Program as well as responding to and caring for sick and injured marine turtles at the Whitsunday Turtle Rescue Centre and recycling the marine debris collected and transforming it into reusable products.

Eco Barge also undertakes education and awareness activities within the community concerning the issue of marine debris, the importance of thoughtful waste disposal and what should be done in the event that a sick or injured marine turtle is encountered.

As a partner of Foodbuy Australia and Compass Group Australia, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is continuously looking for ways to support its sustainability ambition to help combat the plastic pollution issue and create a world without waste. As such, with the assistance of the retail team at Foodbuy, the CCEP Team developed a campaign to connect that ambition with our brands, and partnered with Eco Barge Clean Seas; supporting a cause that resonated deeply with both Compass Group and CCEP. Each 600ml Mount Franklin bottle purchased in a Compass Amigo outlet throughout March and April triggered a donation of 50 cents by CCEP Australia & Compass Group to Eco Barge, with a target of donating $10,000.

Following the conclusion of the campaign, we were thrilled to announce that the maximum donation of $10,000 was achieved, which will go towards helping support Eco Barge’s mission to protect the precious marine life and aquatic environment in the Whitsunday Region.