Viking Line donates 70,000 euros for a cleaner Baltic SeaSuccessful plastic bag campaign to continue in 2016
Viking Line has donated 70,000 euros to environmental efforts to protect the Baltic Sea. This donation, given to environmental organizations in Finland and Sweden, comes from the sale of plastic carrier bags on board Viking Line’s vessels. Among the activities to be funded by the donation are information campaigns and the maintenance of recycling centres and lavatories in the Baltic archipelagos.
Viking Line’s successful plastic bag campaign will continue in 2016. As a result of the campaign, part of the proceeds from the sale of every plastic bag in the Company’s on-board duty- and tax-free shops is being donated to environmental work to help the Baltic Sea. Last year’s campaign enabled Viking Line to donate 35,000 euros each to the environmental organizations Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association in Finland and the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation.
“We work in concrete terms to reduce litter and eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. Viking Line’s donation will be very helpful, with the money being used in part to maintain recycling centres and lavatories in the archipelagos,” says Aija Kaski, Secretary General of Finland’s Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association.
Among the issues highlighted by the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation are problems with ghost nets, that is, old fishing nets found on the bottom of the sea. This year, the organization is launching a major campaign against marine littering.
“It is a positive thing that Viking Line charges a fee for plastic carrier bags. With our logo on the bags, we want to remind passengers that the Baltic Sea needs to be protected and that there are organizations that do this,” says Johanna Ragnartz, chief executive of the Keep Sweden Tidy Association.
Viking Line emphasizes the benefits of working directly in partnership with environmental organizations since their efforts are focused on achieving visible and concrete results in the local environment.
“Viking Line’s vessels operate daily in the Baltic archipelagos, and we want to take our responsibility for the environment at different levels. Along with our own environmental efforts, we want to support the organizations that work concretely to protect the archipelagos,” says Johanna Boijer-Svahnström, Viking Line’s Vice President of Corporate Communications.
The plastic bag campaign was launched in the spring of 2014, and last year Viking Line was able to donate 50,000 euros to the two environmental organizations. The duty- and tax-free bags are made of recycled plastic and feature a brand-new design.
For further information, please contact:
Johanna Boijer-Svahnström, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Viking Line, johanna.boijer@vikingline.com, +358 18 27748
Aija Kaski, Secretary General, Keep the Archipelago Tidy Foundation, aija.kaski@pssry.fi, +358 40 5287145
Johanna Ragnartz, CEO, Keep Sweden Tidy Association, johanna.ragnartz@hsr.se, +46 76 941 01 89
