Introduction: A commitment to coastlines
At Pablo & Rusty’s, we believe business and coffee (importantly) can be a force for good. Our mission goes beyond crafting exceptional coffee. We’re committed to making a postive impact on people and the planet. That’s why, on 30 November 2024, we joined forces with Surfrider Foundation Australia for a beach cleanup at Manly Cove, Sydney.
The weather wasn’t picture perfect. Overcast skies and light drizzle set the scene, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. If anything, it fuelled them (plus it could have been very hot picking up rubbish in the sun). Together, our team and the Surfrider crew set out to make a difference on a small stretch of coastline. What we discovered that morning left a lasting impact on us all.
Kicking off with awareness
We started the morning not with tongs and bags, but with a conversation. After a short introductory session and a video explaining the impact of man-made pollution on our coastlines, Jude from Surfrider gathered us on the break wall overlooking the cove and asked a simple yet revealing question: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how clean does this beach look to you?". Most of us gave it a relatively high score. From a distance, Manly Cove looked pretty tidy. Then we got to work and everything changed.
The cleanup in action
Gloved up and armed with oversized tongs, barefoot and booted, we hit the sand. What seemed like a relatively clean beach with clear harbour water quickly revealed a disturbing reality. Microplastics, raw plastic pellets and hidden debris were everywhere. One of the most shocking discoveries was the sheer number of raw plastic pellets, tiny beads of plastic that had never been turned into a product. We learned they had spilled from a factory further up the Parramatta River, a devastating sign of industrial waste finding its way into our waterways.
By the end of the morning, we had collected, sorted and catalogued 3.7 kilograms of marine debris, including:
1,710 individual pieces of waste
0.48 kilograms of microplastics (1 to 5 millimetres)
708 pieces of mixed plastic
420 cigarette butts
350 bottle tops
29 sushi soy sauce fish (somewhat ironic, we thought)
11 tile spacers from construction sites
Perhaps the most confronting part? The microplastics. They were nearly invisible at first glance, only noticeable when we got down on our hands and knees. This wasn’t just beach litter. This was pollution breaking down into the ecosystem, harming marine life at a microscopic level.
Shifting perspectives
By the time we finished, our initial cleanliness ratings seemed laughable. As a team, we were shocked by just how much debris had been hiding in plain sight. What started as a routine cleanup turned into a profound realisation. Our oceans are in far more trouble than they appear.
And yet, despite the confronting reality, there was something deeply energising about the morning. The camaraderie was undeniable. There was some friendly competition between us, seeing who could collect the most cigarette butts and bottle caps. The public also took notice. Strangers stopped to ask what we were doing, intrigued and we’d like to think inspired by the effort.
Above all, we left feeling empowered. Seeing the scale of the issue firsthand wasn’t paralysing, it was motivating. We need to double down on our impact efforts. It made clearer that our mission to positively impact people and the planet through coffee must not waiver!
Beyond the cleanup: Brewing change through coffee
At P&R, sustainability isn’t a side project. It’s the core of who we are. This cleanup was just one of many ways we’re working to drive positive change. Because of the support from our partner cafés and at-home coffee drinkers, we’re able to contribute to 1% for the Planet Environmental Partners like Surfrider, which are on the frontlines of tackling climate change and man-made pollution.
Beyond this cleanup, we’ve made sustainability an everyday commitment from actions such as:
During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we donated 10 per cent of revenue directly to Surfrider to help fund their ongoing work.
We team up with other 1% for the Planet environmental partners, including Bob Brown Foundation, Keep It Cool and Greening Australia, to drive meaningful change beyond just supporting them with coffee.
The more we connect what we do as coffee roasters with tangible actions like this, the more we realise the potential for businesses to be a force for good.
Gratitude and takeaways
Personally, I left that morning feeling deeply grateful. Grateful for the amazing volunteers at Surfrider who dedicate their time to protecting our coastlines, for our team members who could make it they rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in some even travelled from out of state to be there. Sustainability isn’t just about big policies and lacklustre corporate promises. It needs to be about real people taking real action, one cleanup, one ethical purchase and one moment of pause to ask yourself, how do I dispose of this waste properly?
Join the movement
This experience was a powerful reminder that small actions add up and so does tiny bits of waste... Whether it's choosing businesses that prioritise sustainability, reducing single-use plastics or joining a cleanup yourself, every action counts.
Explore our ongoing sustainability efforts on our impact page.
Learn more about the AUSMap Project and their work tracking microplastic pollution.
Get involved with Surfrider Foundation Australia and their mission to protect our coastlines.
Abdullah, our CEO, summed up the day's events nicely. Let's keep making an impact one positive sip at a time.
