Cook Taiwan gives back to its community

On April 14, a total of 37 volunteers with ties to Cook Taiwan spent their Saturday afternoon helping clean up a beach at Taipei Tamsui. The volunteers, which included Cook Taiwan employees and members of their families, ranged in age from 3 to 60. By the end of the day, the group had bagged up and removed 42 kilograms (almost 93 pounds) of garbage!

As soon as the team was given its tools, they broke up into small groups and spread out along the beach. Competition broke out among some of the teams, as they attempted to pick up more waste than their counterparts. At the end of the day, everyone was shocked at the amount of cookie wrappers, plastic bags, broken foam boxes, bottles, cans—and even nails—that had been collected. Many of the participants had seen reports in the newspaper and on TV about how polluted the beaches had become—but seeing it in person was a wake-up call.

“It’s a great opportunity to not only help make the beaches more pleasant, but also a chance to educate youngsters about how trash flows from inland cities down to the coast and its impact on marine life,” said Cook Taiwan General Manager Joe Jan. “A beach clean-up is a great way to show that you care about your environment. It will also encourage other people not to litter and to take a pride in the area.”

Protection of the environment is surely a long journey, but all the participants from Cook Taiwan were so honored to have the opportunity to play a small part and they will definitely continue to do so.