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Nestlé volunteers clean-up Parramatta River parklands

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Just over a shipping container’s worth of rubbish was removed from local parks, reserves and waterways today by Nestlé employees determined to do their bit to tackle the litter problem.

More than 450 Nestlé volunteers donned gloves and joined the Sea Cleaners team to gather waste from over 20 locations, including sites along the Parramatta River near Nestlé’s office in Rhodes.

Sea Cleaners CEO Hayden Smith said that rubbish ending up in local waterways is an ongoing issue and community involvement and education is important to address it.

“It is encouraging to see a company like Nestlé getting actively involved to make a difference in their own backyard. The Nestlé team have now seen firsthand the implications of what happens to waste once it reaches waterways and why it is so important for us all to do the right thing in the first place,” Mr Smith said.  

“Today’s operation has resulted in 40,000 litres of rubbish alone being collected. We hope that this activity inspires everybody to stop and pick up even just one piece of rubbish a day because it all adds up,” Mr Smith added.

Nestlé Oceania Market Head Sandra Martinez said that today was just one way we are taking action to help achieve a waste-free future.

“Addressing the challenge of plastic waste requires us all to start behaving differently, and there is no better place for us to start than from within our own company, and in our own neighbourhood,” Ms Martinez said.

“We appreciate the involvement and expertise of Sea Cleaners in helping us to do this. Our employees are no different to anyone else, they are passionate about making a difference and today has reminded us that often it is the small steps we take every day that can have a ripple effect for lasting environmental change,” Ms Martinez added.

Nestlé has already laid out its broader vision to achieve a waste-free future and announced a series of specific actions towards meeting its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, with a particular focus on avoiding plastic waste and pioneering alternative materials.