Suzuki Marine demonstrated its commitment to the environment by pitching in during a Nov. 20 coastal cleanup event in Tampa Bay, Fla., near its corporate offices.
A team of 38 from Suzuki Marine included executives, staff, local dealers and even family members participating in the two-hour clean-up effort. The group focused on removing trash, plastic waste and other debris that had accumulated over time along the north side of Tampa’s Courtney Campbell Causeway.
“I want to thank all of our employees, friends and family who cheerfully invested their Saturday morning picking up trash along our coastline,” Suzuki Marine executive vice president of sales and service George “Gus” Blakely said in a statement. “Establishing a corporate culture of environmental stewardship is very important to bringing about positive change — but there is no denying the power of taking action on a grassroots level.”
More than 40 large trash bags were filled and properly disposed of with the help of the local non-profit organization Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, which provided supplies and logistical support. Items collected ranged from plastic bottles and bags, which over time become waterborne micro-plastic pollution, to aluminum cans, glass bottles and a full-sized derelict couch.
The effort is part of Suzuki’s Clean Ocean Project, its corporate initiative to clean up and protect the marine environment through local cleanup efforts around the world. The company is committed to using recyclable alternatives to reduce waste, while reducing the use of plastic materials in products, packaging and shipping.
Suzuki Marine also recently introduced a micro-plastics filter device for its outboard motors, which is designed to capture and remove micro-plastic pollution from the water as it passes through the engine’s cooling system.
