Posted on October 12 2018
From Costa: Costa Sunglasses® will celebrate 35 years of providing anglers and outdoor enthusiasts with the best sunglasses on the planet by joining forces with the Surfrider Foundation, and hosting beach cleanups in 35 locations throughout the U.S. in 2018.
“We were born on the water, so it makes sense for us to celebrate this milestone protecting what we love,” said Holly Rush. “Since 1983, Costa has been committed to conservation and the preservation of our most precious assets—our oceans and waterways. Our team was excited to kick-off our 35th Anniversary with a beach cleanup on International Coastal Cleanup Day right here in our hometown of Daytona Beach where 120 people gathered together to collect and properly discard of more than 150 pounds of trash.”
The 2018 collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation expands upon Costa’s commitment to Kick Plastic, a campaign that launched in 2014. The Kick Plastic idea stemmed from the Costa team seeing an increasing amount of plastic pollution in our waterways and oceans. As an organization committed to conservation, it became shockingly clear that something needed to be done to fight back against unnecessary single-use plastic pollution.
In 2016 the Kick Plastic initiative grew to include a Guide & Outfitter Program. To date, the program has helped to eliminate more than one million single-use plastic water bottles from guide boats and outfitters throughout North America. The Kick Plastic initiative along with Costa’s launch of the new Untangled Collection, sunglass frames made entirely from recycled fishing nets, represent the company’s next step in finding impactful, sustainable ways to help eliminate plastic pollution from our oceans and waterways.
“We are grateful that Costa has decided to celebrate its 35th anniversary through a series of joint beach cleanups across the country,” said Dr. Chad Nelsen, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation. “Beach cleanups not only clean our beaches but they also raise awareness about the plastic pollution challenges we face. Costa’s support underscores their commitment to support clean water and healthy beaches.”
“With about 8 million metric tons of plastic entering the ocean annually, or the equivalent of a garbage truck of plastic dumped in the ocean every minute, we have no other choice but to jump in and make a difference. Small changes add up, whether it’s reducing our single-use plastic consumption, participating in a beach cleanup or spreading the word and building awareness, we can kick this habit and help clean up our oceans and waterways,” said Rush.
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend the Costa x Surfrider beach cleanups throughout the year, which will take place between October 1 and December 31, 2018. For details about specific locations and times, visit costadelmar.com/35years.