Bref and TÜDAV Join Forces in Meaningful Partnership

Our world faces mounting pollution threats with each passing day. Seas are particularly affected by this pollution. Our country, surrounded by seas on three sides, faces the same challenge. Bref, a brand known for its responsible approach to our world's future and coming generations, has launched a special project titled "Cleaning Wave on Coastlines." Under Bref's corporate social responsibility project, on Tuesday 15 October 2019, coastline cleaning activities were carried out in Istanbul, Izmir, Samsun and Adana in cooperation with TÜDAV (Turkish Marine Research Foundation) alongside Henkel employees. Simultaneously, coastlines were cleaned in the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Marmara and Aegean Seas surrounding our country. Recyclable waste including plastic, glass and metal collected during the cleanup were sent to recycling facilities and returned to production. Many celebrities and journalists participated in the project's Istanbul Kilyos phase, including Photographer Bennu Gerede, Actor Burak Arslan, Actor Hazal Eylül Çelik, Actor Murat Aygen, Actor/Programmer/Performer Okan Bayülgen and Actor Tuan Tunalı. Bref Power Aktiv Pronature, whose packaging and plastic protective insert are made from 100% recyclable plastics collected from oceans in Haiti, thus contributes to cleaning seas of waste and returning plastic waste to production. According to a report published by TÜDAV, approximately 2% of the 300 million tons of plastic produced globally each year reaches the oceans. These plastics take years to dissolve in seawater. The toxic chemicals that dissolve then re-enter humans through the food chain. These plastic-derived substances poison seawater for other organisms, and plastics ingested as food are causing the death of dolphins, whales and seabirds. Research has found high levels of plastic bags and other plastic-derived materials in the stomachs of dolphins and whales washed ashore on our country's coastlines. Turkey is among 20 countries responsible for 83% of poor plastic waste management.