Protecting the oceans

Protecting the oceans starts on land.
Protecting the oceans
On 08 June 2017, as part of World Oceans Day, SUEZ launched an oceans initiative (#suez4ocean), showcasing our global commitment to protecting the oceans. The aim of this initiative is simply to clean coastline, beaches and riverbanks to prevent waste from polluting the ocean.

Since this initiative was launched, SUEZ has been engaging its 90,000 employees all over the world to organise or take part in local waste collections throughout the year.

The SUEZ team in the UK is working with local communities, customers and other stakeholders to organise beach clean-ups across the country.
We are committed
Preserving the world’s oceans is a major commitment of the group, and is included in the SUEZ’s 2017-2021 Sustainable Development Road Map. We are optimising the collection, recycling and recovery of waste, improving the treatment and recovery of waste and wastewater and are regenerating biodiversity on seashore. We implement practical solutions that contribute to the conservation of ecosystems and the ocean’s resources in the long term.

We work with local authorities, customers, residents and our employees to rise to this huge and essential challenge by providing the know-how and expertise in the management of the water and waste.

Recorded UK beach and river clean-ups to date

  • Polzeath Beach, Cornwall, October 2020
  • Mawgan Porth Beach, Newquay, September 2019
  • Gabriels Wharf, London, August 2019
  • Felixstowe, Suffolk, August 2019
  • Ribble Estuary, Freckleton, July 2019
  • Thames, Chertsey, July 2019
  • North Devon Beach Clean, June 2019
  • River Darwen, Lancashire, June 2019
  • Perranporth Beach, Cornwall, March 2019
  • Par Beach, Cornwall, January 2019
  • Fleetwood Beach, Lancashire, November 2018
  • Uphill Beach, North Somerset, August 2018
  • River Severn, South Gloucestershire, June 2018
  • Southwold Beach, Suffolk, May 2018
  • Burnham-On-Sea Low Lighthouse, Somerset, November 2017
Taking part
Each year, we are strengthening our commitment and growing our involvement in the fight against marine and coastal pollution. Here in the UK, and worldwide, we aim to engage our employees, businesses and local communities alike in the initiative, by encouraging them to become the ‘guardians of the ocean’.

The long-term goal of this worldwide initiative is to lead by action, inspire and engage others to limit the impact of ground pollution and to collect waste on the coasts and riverbanks, and also to identify solutions that can be implemented in the areas of collection. The employees create their own collection activities, partner with local authorities, NGOs, associations or join existing beach clean-up activities.

Since its launch in June 2017, nearly 100 waste collection operations have been recorded in 15 countries involving almost 2,300 ocean guardians. Together, we have prevented 70 tonnes of waste from reaching the oceans!
On the road
We are raising awareness about the importance of protecting the oceans everywhere we go. In April 2019, a fleet of new commercial collection vehicles took to the streets dressed in bold new livery showcasing our global commitment and raising awareness for the ongoing initiative.

The new designs feature full-wrap images that bring nature to unexpected places and serve as a reminder of the vital role that waste management plays in keeping our planet clean and our waterways free of plastic.