Suzuki Marine USA, LLC showed its team spirit and commitment to the environment by putting on their gloves, rolling up their sleeves and storming the beach during a November 20, 2021 Coastal Cleanup Event. A team of 38 people consisting of Suzuki Marine executives, staff, local dealers and even family members participated in the two-hour effort, focusing on removing trash, plastic waste and other debris that had washed up and accumulated over time along the north side of Tampa’s Courtney Campbell Causeway (SR-60).
In total, more than 40 large bags of trash items were collected and properly disposed of, with the help and support of local non-profit organization Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful (www.keeptampabaybeautiful.org). Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful provided the materials and supplies for the Suzuki Marine team, along with logistics support. Items collected ranged from plastic bottles and bags (materials that can over time become micro-plastic pollution in the water) to aluminum cans and glass bottles to a full-sized derelict couch.
This effort is just one example of Suzuki’s continuing CLEAN OCEAN PROJECT, a corporate initiative to clean up and protect the marine environment through local cleanup efforts around the world, promoting recyclable alternatives to reduce waste, and company-wide efforts to reduce the use of plastic materials in products, packaging and shipping. Suzuki Marine also recently introduced its innovative micro-plastics filter device for use on its outboard motors.
This first-of-its-kind system is designed to capture and remove micro-plastic pollution from the water as it passes through the engine’s cooling system, providing a way for boaters to become part of the solution to this global environmental challenge. It has been undergoing extensive testing aboard the popular Tampa Bay Water Taxi L’Attitude Lindsey, a specialized vessel powered by twin Suzuki DF140 outboards.
Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful has its own Suzuki-powered cleanup boat that is used to collect and dispose of trash and debris all around the greater Tampa Bay area. Suzuki Marine also works closely with Correct Craft/Sea Ark boats to power its specialized MADVAC cleanup boats, literal on-the-water vacuum cleaners used to protect the ecosystems in various lakes and waterways.
“I want to thank all of our employees, friends and family who cheerfully invested their Saturday morning picking up trash along our coastline,” said Suzuki Marine USA Executive Vice President of Sales & Service George “Gus” Blakely. “Establishing a corporate culture of environmental stewardship is very important to bringing about positive change — but there is no denying the power of taking action on a grassroots level. Besides, with Florida and the Tampa Bay area being our new home, it’s absolutely the right thing to do. We are looking forward to working with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful on future projects,” added Blakely.
To learn more about Suzuki’s CLEAN OCEAN PROJECT, or Suzuki Marine’s full line of Ultimate Outboard Motors from 2.5 to 350 horsepower, contact Suzuki Marine USA headquarters at (813) 687-7200 or visit www.suzukimarine.com.
