100 islands to clean up and protect by 2020 with the A.I.R. (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign) strategy. Corona presented its Corona x Parley project in Tulum, Mexico. We were there too.
It is hard to imagine plastic pollution in an idyllic postcard landscape — until you see it with your own eyes. We are not talking about Tulum with its enchanting waters, which hosted the global press launch of the Corona x Parley ocean clean-up project, but about the many beaches around the world, some of them strikingly beautiful, overrun by plastic, where bottles, polystyrene crates, flip-flops and countless other objects hold sway, polluting the environment. Objects that have only partly been abandoned on the spot, but that mainly arrive from the sea — whole or broken down by erosion into smaller fragments, all the more dangerous because they can be mistaken for food by fish, turtles and birds. Which eat them, introducing them into the food chain.
Once at sea, plastic — which is practically indestructible in nature — begins to be carried by currents everywhere, reaching the most remote places on the planet, as shown by the trailer for the film by director Chris Jordan, coming soon online, which depicts the effects of plastic on the albatrosses of Midway Atoll in the Pacific, more than 2,000 miles from the nearest continents.
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With more than 5 million billion pieces of plastic waste in the seas and around 8 million tonnes of plastic dumped annually, marine pollution caused by this petroleum-derived material has reached critical levels. It is estimated that by 2050 the weight of plastic in the oceans will exceed that of fish.
One solution to the problem is offered by the collaboration between Corona, the Mexican beer brand, and Parley for the Oceans, an organisation dedicated to creatively addressing and resolving the threats facing the oceans, a highly fragile ecosystem. Corona's interest in this delicate issue stems from the very essence of the product, the company explained during the project's press presentation: "Conceptually, Corona beer is born to be drunk on the beach, surrounded by the sea — the perfect place to switch off, break from routine and reconnect with nature. It is a brand that celebrates life outdoors and sees the beach and the sea as home, but this home is in serious danger."
For years, Corona has engaged local communities through Save the Beach, an initiative to clean up beaches in various countries around the world. The new Corona x Parley project is the natural evolution of these earlier commitments and sets an ambitious goal: to take care of 100 islands around the world.
"We need to take a stand and protect the heart and soul of our brand. We want to spread our love for the oceans and make people understand that we care about them, inspiring people to change their behaviour. Corona is present in more than 180 countries and we have the opportunity and the responsibility to harness this power to become a voice for the oceans," explained Thiago Zanettini, Global Vice President Corona.
"We are all connected to the sea. The state of our islands is a powerful reminder of this fact. Plastic debris travels around the world to end up on the most remote beaches, surrounding these paradises with a band of multicoloured plastic rubbish. Evidently there is something completely wrong with this. Plastic has a design flaw. To raise awareness and immediately reduce the production of new plastic, we invented the Ocean Plastic™ material from recycled marine debris and developed a formula aimed at achieving long-term change – the AIR strategy: Avoid, Intercept, Redesign. We found in Corona a perfect partner to bring this philosophy and this strategy into new territory: the beverages sector. The economy is what caused the plastic problem in the first place, but through the transformative power of collaboration and ecological innovation, we can make it the key to the solution," said Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans.
Parley defines itself as the space where creatives, thinkers and leaders come together to raise awareness of the beauty and fragility of our oceans, and to collaborate on projects that can put an end to their destruction. The underlying conviction is that the power of change lies in the hands of the consumer, through their choices, and that the opportunity to shape this new mindset is an opportunity for the creative industries.
According to Parley, artists, musicians, actors, film directors, designers, journalists, architects, inventors and scientists would have the tools to shape the reality we live in and to develop alternative business models and eco-sustainable products. It is no coincidence that among the project's ambassadors we find Mexican actor Diego Luna and environmental filmmaker Chris Jordan.
Corona's commitment is to protect 100 islands by 2020 in six parts of the world (Mexico, the Maldives, Australia, Chile, the Dominican Republic and Italy).
The project's strategy is expressed by the acronym A.I.R. (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign), which describes the three phases of the initiative: the first – Avoid – aims to educate people about the importance of reducing everyday plastic use and replacing it with other recycled materials; through Parley Talks, experts at sea educate young creatives, thinkers and leaders on the subject of protecting the oceans, in order to motivate concrete action. This educational moment is the first step towards introducing change. The second phase – Intercept – focuses on collecting waste at sea using various methods, to prevent plastic from reaching the ocean. Since collecting plastic at sea is complex (because it breaks down into tiny particles), Parley's work concentrates primarily on coastlines and beaches. The third phase – Redesign – focuses on innovation in materials, products and new ways of using them. The original vision of transforming marine waste into an opportunity by converting it into an alternative to the use of virgin plastic led Parley to create Ocean Plastic™, a recycled material introduced into the fashion, art and sport sectors. In light of this success, Parley is ready to focus on its most ambitious goal: the development of new materials capable of replacing plastic once and for all.
In addition to protecting the 100 islands, Corona will implement a conscious philosophy regarding plastic use. This process will begin with an assessment of the production chain in order to reduce or replace the plastic materials still being used. At the same time, Corona will commit to raising awareness among its partners about reducing plastic at all brand-related events and activities. As a first action, the "Corona Sunsets" series of festivals and events, which take place around the world, has been redesigned not only to align with Parley's A.I.R. strategy, but also to seize the opportunity to raise awareness among more than 350,000 consumers a year.