PR / CHICAGO (June, 2021) -– Timed with World Oceans Month, Corona beer — a brand that has long been synonymous with the beach — is committing to removing 1 million pounds of plastic from beaches and its business by the brand’s 100th birthday in 2025 through its “Protect Our Beaches” initiative with Oceanic Global. Believing there is no such thing as a “better tomorrow” without our beaches, the brand is on a mission to preserve these special places for generations to come.
To help support the effort, Corona has partnered with Oceanic Global, a nonprofit leader in ocean conservation, to spearhead cleanups in some of the nation’s most polluted areas, as well as host community cleanups in select cities and locations across the country. Additionally, the international NGO is helping with the Corona brand’s sustainability efforts, predominantly by removing plastic across its business, including packaging, selling tools, merchandise and more, and replacing it with ocean-friendly alternatives and collaborating with eco-conscious vendors.
“Beaches have been the heartbeat of Corona for nearly 100 years because of what they represent: a special place with the power to relax and refresh our perspectives,” said Ann Legan, vice president of brand marketing, Corona. “The ‘Protect Our Beaches’ initiative is a commitment to reduce our plastic usage and clean up a place we call home, an action that we hope can inspire communities to protect their own local beaches and create a bigger impact.”
To kick off the initiative, Corona hosted a high-impact cleanup (coordinated with the experts at United by Blue, a sustainable lifestyle brand that specializes in coastal and waterway cleanup projects) in the environmentally endangered lands of the South Dade Wetlands within the Biscayne Bay near Miami. A unique waterway system, the Biscayne Bay is home to some of the Atlantic Ocean’s most unique wildlife. Unfortunately, the bay falls victim to both marine debris and litter from the city. The cleanup successfully yielded more than 30,000 pounds of plastic waste. A video of the effort can be found on the Corona YouTube page.
From beaches to rivers and lakes, this year, the brand will host 20 consumer cleanup events across the country to bring communities together and enable people to be part of the solution. Adhering to local safety guidelines, the cleanups will begin in July and run through September.
“The state of our oceans is dire. We are currently dumping up to the equivalent of two garbage truckloads of plastic in the oceans every minute, pushing the ocean’s ecosystems past their limits,” said Lea d’Auriol, founder, Oceanic Global. “We all must take immediate action to ensure the health of our oceans and beaches, for today and for the future. We are proud to support an iconic brand like Corona in taking action and inspiring others to do the same.”
To aid consumers in their own local cleanup efforts, Corona and Oceanic Global are offering an easy-to-use toolkit that includes all the essentials individuals need to clean up their beloved waterway or beach. The toolkit comes in a custom branded recyclable cardboard box with gloves, a reusable mesh bag and a plantable seed card with a QR code that unlocks access to the Corona Beach Cleanup Guide and will direct people to find a local cleanup event in their area. The seed card, when planted, will grow into a lime tree, whose fruit is a classic companion to Corona beer. Toolkits are available to purchase online for $10.
Additionally, Corona will support the “Protect Our Beaches” initiative with an integrated marketing campaign that includes TV, digital, social, retail and PR. Working in unison, these channels will help raise awareness of the need to protect our beaches and how everyone — individuals, communities and businesses alike — can be part of the solution. The program has intrinsically changed the way Corona views its packaging and promotional products and has inspired the brand to leverage its presence in retail in a more meaningful way. This year, rather than simply celebrating the beach visually, Corona’s summer packaging will include a QR code that people can scan for a chance to win an eco-friendly beach getaway or a collection of beach-friendly gear.
Related: Three Steps to Becoming A More Environmentally Conscious Beer Drinker