If you happened to be walking along the Plage de la Garoupe, or the coastal path around the Cap d’Antibes last week, you may have seen over 100 people taking part in a beach clean up. The event, organised by Fraser, is part of its ongoing partnership with Plastic Oceans.

The participants, which included Fraser staff, yacht crew and industry professionals, spent the day picking up litter and rubbish from the coastal areas. The debris collected is to be analysed by ‘Expedition Med’, who specialise in oceanic pollution research.  “People were really impressed by the initiative,” says Lisa Peck, global marketing manager for Fraser, in a conversation with SuperyachtNews. “It was a great opportunity to get outside with their families and do something positive together.”

This beach clean is just a small part of Fraser’s campaign against ocean pollution. Its partnership with Plastic Oceans – a charity that hopes to eradicate plastic pollution across the globe – began in late 2017. “We have a page on our website dedicated to the issue of plastic pollution that we keep updated with tips and recommendations about how we can avoid the use of plastic and look for alternatives in our daily lives,” explains Peck.

The commitment to reducing plastic pollution is not just limited to those working ashore, as Peck says that Fraser is also educating the yachts it manages. “We are also sending regular updates to clients and our fleet about issues with plastic and how they can reduce their consumption, as well as communicating about this topic on our social media and in our Fraser magazine. We are also involving representatives from Plastic Oceans in our events where possible.” She adds that the brand has a partnership with CanOwater, a company that uses cans rather than plastic bottles; these were given out to participants of the beach clean.

Fraser reports a huge amount of rubbish cleared from the beaches during the event. The sheer volume of debris, which included cigarette butts, fishing line and bottles, made a significant impact on those who took part.  “The biggest lesson from the day was that although changes may be small on a personal level, or that on an individual basis you might think what you do doesn’t make much difference, when we combine our efforts and they become a collective, the impact is huge,” adds Peck.

The Fraser team are currently planning another beach clean, and encourage anyone interested in joining the next beach clean to follow their Facebook page for news on further events.  For Peck, this is a simple way that the industry can show a commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, and educate more people about the dangers of single use plastics. “It goes to show that with a little effort from all of us, we can slow the growth of the plastic problem.”

Images courtesy of Fraser

Profile links

Fraser Yachts

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.