On the occasion of the International Day of Tolerance, more than 30 volunteers, including schoolchildren and families from nearby emirates, cleaned up the corniche area on the Ajman open beach on November 16, collecting litter for recycling.
Fairmont Ajman joined forces with Ajman Tourism Development Department and Ajman Municipality to commemorate the International Day of Tolerance with a large scale clean-up of the beach.
The volunteers collected over 250kg of litter and plastics. Among the waste, volunteers found the likes of cigarette butts, plastic bottles, and plastic wrapping. The nationalities of the participants were ranging from Venezuelan, Spanish, Croatian, Indian, Ukrainian to Lebanese and American to name a few, while the youngest participant was only six years old.
Kosta Kourotsidis, General Manager, Fairmont Ajman said: “In line with Accor’s sustainability programme Planet 21, we are committed to minimise plastic waste, and specifically the hazards to marine life caused by conventional plastic straws. As plastic also harms birds, animals and eventually impacts the food chain as well as our health, we have organised a beach cleanup drive to raise awareness among beachgoers on the importance of maintaining cleanliness in our surroundings. I am thankful to my team for their commitment and the Ajman Tourism Development Department and Ajman Municipality for their support on the beach cleanup drive.”
“We’re proud to partner with Fairmont Ajman to organize this environmentally-friendly activity. We aim to increase interest in the environment and ecotourism as part of the Department’s efforts to encourage sustainable practices,” says Saud Al Jasmi, head of events at Ajman Tourism Development Department.
He cautioned that basic rules must be followed to keep the beaches clean because they attract tourists and visitors throughout the year.
The event aimed to raise awareness to the plight of climate change, and bring the community together under a single cause. It’s estimated that around thirteen million metric tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, posing danger to the ocean environment and sea life.
