Nearly a century ago, Corona was born at the beach. Since then, our beloved Mexican lager has remained true to its origins by taking action to protect nature, particularly, the ocean.
Corona continually invests in solutions to address one of the world’s most pressing water issues: marine and freshwater plastic pollution. The United Nations reports 17 million metric tons of plastic entered the world’s oceans in 2021, a figure that’s expected to double or even triple by 2040.
Corona’s holistic plastic mitigation strategy contributes to UN sustainable development goal 14 focused on ocean conservation. It starts with reducing plastic usage where possible through product redesign efforts, such as creating crates made with recycled maritime plastic and supporting the development of a fully biodegradable and soluble plastic alternative from Solutum, the winner of our 100+ Accelerator Plastic Free Challenge. In 2021, Corona became the first global beverage brand with a net zero plastic footprint, meaning Corona recovered more plastic from the environment than it used.
Corona also works with NGOs and other partners to help protect the world’s oceans, waterways and beaches from plastic pollution. This week, in honor of World Ocean Day, Corona announced a new partnership with 4ocean, the ‘River of Change.’ This joint initiative aims to remove one million pounds of plastic from Guatemala’s longest river, the Rio Motagua, one of Central America’s most polluted river systems.
“As a brand born at the beach and deeply connected with nature, Corona is a proud ally to the ocean,” said Clarissa Pantoja, Global Vice President of Corona, AB InBev. “We have a long history of partnering with NGOs to have a consistent positive impact and doing our part to protect paradise all around the world.”
A new cleanup initiative from Corona and 4ocean aims to remove one million pounds of plastic waste from Guatemala’s Rio Motagua river.
River of Change also intends to create new jobs by having local artists develop products made from a portion of the recovered plastic through Wakami, an ethical lifestyle brand that creates jobs and a reliable source of income for women entrepreneurs living in Guatemala’s rural communities.
During the five-year agreement, a portion of proceeds from bracelet sales and royalties will be reinvested in 4ocean to support the ongoing cleanup in Guatemala and other rivers worldwide.
Every recovered plastic bracelet in the Corona x 4ocean River of Change Collection will be handcrafted by a local Guatemalan artisan.
Rounding out Corona’s approach to reduce marine plastic pollution are marketing campaigns and immersive experiences that raise consumer awareness of the issue and empower people to change their habits. This year the brand opened Corona Island, the world’s first, Blue Verified, single-use, plastic-free island, created with international NGO, Oceanic Global.
