Corona's 'Plastic Fishing Tournament' goes global

Last summer, beer company Corona piloted its first Plastic Fishing Tournament in Mexico, paying local anglers to go out into the seas not to catch fish, but to retrieve plastic waste. Now, the idea, created by advertising agency We Believers, is going global.

To mark Global Recycling Day on March 18, the brand revealed that it has held a series of events in China, Brazil and Israel as well as Mexico, connecting fisherpeople in the regions with local recycling centers to collect and recycle plastic debris. More than 150 community members participated in the collections, spending more than 15 hours collectively fishing for plastic. The initiative not only has helped to clean up the waters, it has also supported the livelihoods of those whose catches have been depleted by overfishing and pollution.

Corona recycled five tons of plastic debris from waters worldwide as a result.  Along with recycling the waste, it's also making creative use of the plastic in this next stage of the project. In Mexico, the plastics collected will be transformed into tools for fisherpeople and benches for public spaces. In China, they will be designed into beachwear merchandise such as bags and t-shirts. In Israel, plastic waste will be turned into community sculptures, and in Brazil, it will be reused in a variety of ways, from PET bottles to furniture and pallets for transportation.

Next, the plastic fishing idea will be rolled out to further countries, including South Africa and Colombia.

The effort continues Corona’s commitment as the first in the beverage industry to become "net-zero plastic," said Felipe Ambra, global vice president for Corona. “At Corona, our environmental commitment is rooted in preserving and protecting our oceans and beaches. We feel it is our responsibility to protect paradise for generations to come, and we want to lead the way and inspire others to do the same.”

“It is an honor to be able to work for a brand that demonstrates its commitment with actions, by creating and developing scalable platforms that have a real impact on the lives of people and the planet,” added Gustavo Lauria, co-founder and chief creative officer of We Believers (which was this week named Ad Age's Creativity Agency of the Year for 2022).