BAT Rothmans executives and employees pick up trash in Euljiro, downtown Seoul, Nov. 18. Courtesy of BAT Rothmans

By Kim Jae-heun

Global tobacco company BAT Rothmans is drawing attention for its practice of contributing to the local community under its ESG campaigns. Executives and employees there have been actively volunteering in the company's campaigns.

Under the firm's motto of making "A Better Tomorrow," BAT Rothmans is not only carrying out various eco-friendly activities, but also making efforts steadily to help the community by fostering skilled young workers and supporting society's vulnerable.

BAT Rothmans' plogging event in downtown Seoul's Euljiro was the most recent ESG campaign involving its staff. Plogging refers to the activity of picking up trash while jogging.

The tobacco firm moved its Korean office to near Euljiro in August and collaborated with the nation's largest plogging organization, "Wipearth," to clean the streets nearby on Nov. 18.

On that day, BAT Rothmans employees collected about 57.8 kilograms of garbage from the street. They also listened to a lecture by Wipearth CEO Hwang Seung-yong under the theme of, "Action for Sustainable Society that Individuals Can Practice."

Earlier in October, the company also conducted hands-on volunteer work, in which its executives and employees learned to make eco-friendly shampoo bars that do not use plastics, and shared them with the underprivileged.

The hands-on workshop was led by an instructor who is a single parent and set up a private workshop after working with BAT Rothmans' DREAM Workshop, sponsored by the company. A number of shampoo bars made by the tobacco company's employees were donated to the Jung District Office in the area and delivered to 24 underprivileged people in the district.

"BAT Rothmans is carrying out various ESG activities for future talent and the environment under the company's goal of 'A Better Tomorrow.' We will continue making more efforts to contribute to the local community by inviting our employees and encouraging them to take part," a BAT Rothmans official said.