March 01, 2020

Armed with waste bags, gloves and a strong sense of purpose, around 120 men, women and children cleaned the Ghubra beach on Friday morning.

The initiative was part of a campaign by BAHAR, National Detergent Company’s (NDC) premier brand, in partnership with Apex Media to put their ‘BITTER ABOUT LITTER’ campaign in action.

The volunteers included BAHAR and Apex Media staff and their families and friends - all giving their time to clear rubbish and raise awareness as part of the ongoing campaign by Apex Media, which has been calling upon all members of the public to join in for a clean and sustainable living.

Last year, BAHAR signed a headline partnership agreement with Apex Media to align their market leading BAHAR brand with the ‘BITTER ABOUT LITTER’ campaign. The ongoing campaign will help present a cleaner environment to everyone who lives in or visits Oman.

Mark Rix, CEO, Apex Media, said, “BAHAR and Apex Media are committed to keeping Oman clean ridding it of the scourge of litter. But more importantly, educating the younger generation that they need to dispose off waste responsibly.”

“We do not want to ruin the beaches, streets and wadis. We have to keep Oman beautiful. BITTER ABOUT LITTER with BAHAR is our campaign and we are proud of it. Oman is a very beautiful place and it is our responsibility to look after it,” he added.

In his comments, William Hunt, CEO, NDC, said, “BAHAR is a well-known brand in the detergent industry and also Oman’s favourite local brand. Delighted to partner with Apex Media and this is a fact that BAHAR’s core brand values are aligned to the values promoted by the BITTER ABOUT LITTER campaign. We believe that BAHAR and Apex Media can play a big role in promoting positive behaviour towards litter.”

Anish Kumar, Head of Marketing and Regional Sales, NDC, said, NDC’s ongoing clean campaign has been active with its ‘Clean Oman’ school campaign reaching out to the young students of Oman and educating them about the importance of having a clean environment.

“The campaign has reached out to over 150,000 school students in Muscat, Sur, Sohar, Nizwa and Samail. By tying up with Apex Media campaigns, the two hope to make significant awareness among the public to make Oman cleaner,” he said.

Before the beach cleaning, there was a warm-up session led by Vinodhini Krishnamoorthy, Mrs India World International 2018 and who is a Zumba instructor. “We all need to be responsible to create a better place to live. We have to keep the world cleaner and am glad to be here to join the campaign,” she said.

Other than BAHAR and Apex Media staff, those who attended also expressed their bitterness about litter saying such group events are essential to create more awareness. “I was so happy to hear about this cleaning campaign and I did not want to miss it. I came with my children to instil the knowledge of being bitter against litter and it was a great opportunity to be part of the campaign for me and my family,” Mamta Sharma, one of those who attended, said.

Ajay Nitnaware, procurement manager, NDC, another attendee at the event, said, “We all need to work for the betterment of a clean environment. Such initiatives are great for the well-being of the entire generation and our future generation.”

During the event, Costa Coffee was in full support and was in hand to offer refreshments. “We are happy to associate with Apex Media and BAHAR for the beach clean up. It is always required for everybody to take part and support each other to create more awareness to maintain the country and keep it clean,” Paul Biswajit, Country Head - Costa Coffee Oman said.

Costa Coffee was the food and beverage partner at the Friday’s event.