Supported by Coca-Cola, it is viewed as the world's most extensive one-day volunteer action to clean beaches off garbage and waste. 

The event has also been supported by Bakcell, Azerbaijan’s first mobile operator, in the past two years.

The  Coastal Cleanup campaign was also joined by representatives from the initiative group Green ASAN, which is part of the ASAN Service;  the environmental youth association Green Baku; the "Let's Do It Azerbaijan” (letsdoitworld.org) program and the Binaqadi district executive authorities. 

Azerbaijan News Network (ANN.Az) provided informational support. 

The partners in the campaign include the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the National Olympics Committee, ADA University, and the "YouthInc” group of young entrepreneurs. 

The Annual International Coastal Cleanup Day is supported by the UN and the Ocean Conservancy organization, which helps protect water basins around the world.    

"It’s the sixth time Coca-Cola organizes the Coastal Cleanup campaign in Azerbaijan,” said Elshad Farzaliyev, the company’s communications manager. "The environmental well-being of society, which we are part of, is very important for us. Therefore, we have tried to attract a lot of people who have joined us with interest and joy in order to remove litter and garbage from the coasts of the Caspian Sea. Coca-Cola, along with our friends, families and volunteers of all ages, has been able to clean a coastal area of 3 km, collecting about 10 tons of garbage. This campaign has become a kind of festival for us, thanks to which we clean the environment where we live. We hope that we will not have to carry out similar campaigns in the future as the beaches will be clean." 

"Beaches are the places that undergone changes the most because of human behavior. Therefore, this campaign is of great importance,” said Suheyla Jafarova, head of corporate communications at Bakcell. "Bakcell joins this campaign for a second year in a row with great enthusiasm. We are glad that every year more and more volunteers contribute to efforts to solve environmental problems. I thank all the participants and organizers of this campaign that is important for the Caspian Sea." 

On September 19 at 9:00 the participants of the «Coastal Cleanup» campaign gathered at the entrance to the underground station "Azadlig", where, at the time of my arrival, nine large buses had already lined up. The number of participants was increasing every minute. The event was attended by the representatives of governmental and nongovernmental organizations, private companies, as well as students and all other volunteers, who shown desire to join the «Coastal Cleanup» campaign. 

 

When all the participants gathered we went to the coast. To ensure the safety of the participants our bus column was accompanied by traffic police. In less than an hour we reached the shore, which was subsequently cleared by the participants. 

Then the organizers began distributing special T-shirts with the "Pick it Up. Clean it Up. Sea Change!" slogan, where the official partners and the organizers of this «Coastal Cleanup» campaign were also marked. Each participant eagerly wanted to get his own shirt, put it on and feel a part of this good initiative. 

Some participants also decided to combine business with pleasure, taking selfies.  

Some people may think such campaigns are not places for selfie. However, posting pictures on social networks is a great advertisement of such events, promoting the preservation of ecology and environmental clean-up. After all, today social networks have become a part of our lives. We get most of information from social networks. Looking ahead, I will note that most of the volunteers knew about the campaign through the popular social networking website Facebook. The organizers created an event of the «Coastal Cleanup» campaign on Facebook. As a result of the advertising campaign, the organizers managed to attract more than 450 participants. 

 

Then the volunteers were provided with large garbage bags and gloves.

It was great to see that the event was also attended by children. These young environmentalists, following the example of adults, also wore T-shirts and gloves, looking forward to the start of the action. 

 

Before the «Coastal Cleanup» campaign started at the Novkhany seaside, ANN.Az news portal decided to talk with the participants of this noble action aimed at protecting the environment. Our first interlocutor was Orkhan Gadirov, a member of the ecological youth association «Green Baku», who during our way to the cost being in the bus was giving instructions to his team #6, explaining what king of garbage can be collected, noting the significance of this action. "Our main goal is the protection and preservation of the nature of our Motherland, Azerbaijan, cleaning litter from the contaminated areas of the Caspian coast and other territories. More than 400 people are participating in today's action. They are going to clean coastline in Novkhany. The event will be attended by nine teams". Gadirov also noted that he along with the other members of the association «Green Baku» regularly participate in the campaigns aimed at protecting the environment. "Cleanup projects and similar campaigns are often conducted in Baku. However, the «Coastal Cleanup» campaign is one of the biggest events attended by a large number of volunteers, "- said Orkhan Gadirov, adding that the team, collected the greatest amount of litter will receive a prize. 

I also spoke with the members of a certain group «FLASHMOB Azerbaijan», regularly organizes flashmobs in Baku. "We have many friends who are not only the member of "FLASHMOB Azerbaijan”, but also of the ecological youth association «Green Baku», who began to share this event in the social network "Facebook. So here we are, "- said participants Alla Timashova and Elnara Agayeva. 

Among the participants were even mum-to-be, such as Anastasia Garmavskaya, who also learned about the event by means of the social network "Facebook". "I wanted to take part in such action aimed at protecting the environment for a long time. I like such campaigns. In Ukraine I have regularly participated in different projects, encouraging people to protect nature, but in Azerbaijan, I became a participant of action «Coastal Cleanup» campaign for the first time ", - said Garmavskaya. 

Nice to see that such events are attended by the great amount of people who are trying to involve in the initiative their friends and acquaintances, thus increasing the number of participants. For example, Cherkashin Yaroslav, a friend of Anastasia, learned about the campaign, immediately decided to participate in it. "I did not know in what form the action will be held. However, being in this incredible atmosphere full of positive energy, I had a great time, at the right time in the right place ", - said Yaroslav, urging citizens often join such activities. 

The initiative was also attended by students who came to clean up the sea coast in groups, each of which was at least of five people. ANN.Az managed to talk with the students of Western University. "We knew about the campaign through Facebook and decided to join it, as cleaning of the coast and protection of the environment is a noble action. Despite the fact that this is our first participation in «Coastal Cleanup» initiative, we will be glad to participate again and again in future, trying to attract as many people, in particular, from our university, as we can"- the students said.    

 

The event was attended not only by students, but also by the Azerbaijani youth who have graduated from universities, and currently are making their career. 

 

Equipped with everything they need for the garbage collection, the participants went to the beach, lined up in a long chain of bright red color. 

Volunteers divided into pairs, each of which shared one large garbage bag. The pairs were guy-guy-girl girl and mixed employment duets. Then the volunteers began to work. The coastline was transformed right before our eyes, as the contaminated sites were eliminated one by one, and litter bags were being filled with new garbage. 

 

The sea coast was cleaned of plastic and glass bottles, cans and other litter and debris. 

After cleaning coastal areas, guys, dragging bags full of trash, moved to the seaside. 

Here, the work continued. The youth worked with great afford, collecting garbage lying not only on the surface, but one that has been partially covered the sand. 

Caspian coast was immediately painted in reds. 

 

Some of the girls got off their shoes and walked barefooted along the coast in the warm water of the Caspian Sea. 

It should be noted that the event was also attended by the members of the group «Green ASAN» at the «ASAN service». 

The coordinator of the group «Green ASAN» Sahil Mammadov noted that one of the main goals of the event is the awareness of the need to preserve and protect the environment. "Using such initiatives as «Coastal Cleanup» campaign we try to attract the attention of our citizens to the fact that environmental protection today is one of the primary issues that deserves special attention. We want to show people that nature should be treated with love and people should defend it if we want to preserve its beauty and uniqueness. It does not matter where such initiatives are held - beaches, streets, squares or the environment in general, the main thing is the protection and defense of our nature, "- said Sahil Mammadli. 

Turana Gasimova also noted that the group «Green ASAN» at the «ASAN service» along with the «Coastal Cleanup» campaign always supports activities to protect the environment, namely cutting down trees. "Today, every citizen of Azerbaijan can deliver waste paper in the centers of ASAN Xidmət, where specially established for this purpose containers. The action "Exchange paper on a tree" is carried out by public association IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) and the State Agency for the provision of services to citizens and social innovation under the President of Azerbaijan. Each sheet of paper is a piece of wood, sawn and processed for us. Take used paper for recycling, and deliver the trees from destruction! "- said Turana Gasimova. 

Waste collection machines and garbage trucks were specially delivered to the seaside for loading packages with garbage and their further transport. 

When the garbage bags were full to overflowing, volunteers piled them into one big pile. 

Then the participants began loading garbage bags into the trucks. In this process, the girls worked on a par with boys.

Another group of volunteers folded trash bags in the bucket bulldozer, subsequently sent them to the garbage truck. 

During the event, participants were provided with food and refreshments.

After all the garbage was collected and immersed in the machine, participants took several photos for memory. The event was also attended by both TV broadcasters and print media. 

It’s great that such events are of interest to our society that people take care of the environment, and try keeping it clear of debris to keep it for future generations. 

It should be noted that over the past 5 years as a part of such actions held by Coca-Cola, about 10 tons of waste were removed from the 26 hectares of land in the Caspian coast. All over the world, 24 thousand of the Coca-Cola Company friends from 27 countries joined the initiative, what resulted in 20 thousand km of coastline being cleaned up. And this number increases every year. 

Coca-Cola records the information on the waste collected and sends it to the Ocean Conservancy. In turn, this information is displayed in the international reports to clean up the world's oceans by country. Similar initiatives improve the results of development programs in the field of environmental protection and the environment, implemented by Coca-Cola, and in particular the work done by the company in the protection of oceans and lakes. 

ANN.Az news portal, being a mouthpiece for science, culture, education and awareness, always support initiatives dedicated to the protection of the environment and encourages its readers to actively participate in the initiatives of this kind, protecting our nature. 

 

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