Waste collection to raise awareness among schoolchildren

MerTerre

Action zones

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

The project

SensibilizationDecontamination

Adopt'1 Spot, an educational tool to raise awareness of waste management. Schools can benefit from personalized support from MerTerre to involve young people in the management of their territory. By acquiring data, they can alert local authorities and monitor the implementation of locally adapted preventive measures.

150

spots

created as part of the Adopt'1 Spot program.

8 500

people

and already a hundred schoolchildren.

metric tons

of waste collected during 338 pick-ups.

Solution

Every year, up to 12 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans and 80% of this waste found at sea comes from land. As the ocean is the primary regulator of the climate, preserving marine ecosystems also means combating global warming.

To take action and put in place appropriate and effective public policies, we need to better understand this pollution: data on waste collected during clean-up operations are invaluable and enable us to trace the origin of waste to establish recommendations. It is also essential to involve the younger generations to raise their awareness of this pollution and prevent the same mistakes from being made again.

To meet this dual challenge, MerTerre has developed the participatory science programAdopt'1 Spot: a central tool of the Zéro Déchet Sauvage collaborative platform. Thanks to regular pick-ups, this program makes it possible toprotect fragile locations subject to chronic pollution and monitor this issue by collecting reliable data on the waste collected.

Through its educational component, Adopt'1 Spot also makes it possible to playfully raise awareness among schoolchildren (schools, colleges, high schools, leisure centers, etc.), introduce them to the scientific approach in the field and make them aware of their ability to protect the environment.

News

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7/9/2024

Monitoring abandoned waste in the Parc National des Calanques: evaluation of actions in 2024

In 2024, MerTerre, in collaboration with the Parc national des Calanques (PnCal), is undertaking an essential mission to assess and improve the effectiveness of corrective actions implemented against discarded waste abandoned. This initiative is part of the Plan de Lutte Contre les Déchets Abandonnés (PLDA), aimed at maintaining the cleanliness and preservation of PnCal's natural sites.

Methodology and chosen sites

MerTerre has defined a rigorous protocol to monitor and evaluate the PLDA at six specific sites, each representing a type of area particularly affected by pollution :

Access road - Roads: Route de la Gineste, Parking des Logissons
Parkings: Belvedere parking lot, Route des Crêtes
City-nature interfaces: Néréïdes neighborhood, National Park entrance
Park entrance: Luminy
Calanques: Plage de la Maronaise
Zone d'échouage : Anse de Pomègues

Each site will be subject to ramassage and characterization of waste at least once a year. The protocol includeslevel 2 minimum characterization, brand characterization and analysis by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

Conclusion and outlook

The MerTerre and PnCal initiative in 2024 is an important step towards reducing abandoned waste in the Calanques. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation will enable clean-up and awareness-raising strategies to be adapted and improved.

5/16/2024

Citizen revolution on the Huveaune: Seasters take up the challenge

On April 15, 2024, on the Huveaune beach, the Seasters carried out a noble mission. Under the leadership of Mélanie Sergent, founder of the association La Casse aux Trésors, a determined team undertook an exceptional clean-up.

The MerTerre team was reinforced by sixty students and a fifteen. d'accompagnants from the écoles Canet Larousse and Canet Jean Jaurès. Curious young minds, from CP to CM2, joined in this civic adventure.

The day wasn't just a collection of debris. It was also a lesson of awareness. The students, prepared in class by Mélanie, were aware of the health issues linked to plastic waste and had explored recycling and upcycling, an approach promoted by La Casse aux Trésors.

The aim was twofold: to raise awareness of the problem of waste abandoned and to give a new life to this debris by seeing it as resources potential. For many children, this was their first discovery of the sand, water and garbage littering the shoreline. Initial excitement soon gave way to enthusiasm and determination. The pupils, disciplined and committed, shared this moment with joy.

Thank you to our Captains for their commitment. The next talks, scheduled for May 6 and 7, promise to be just as rewarding. The Seasters' quest continues as long as there are still treasures to be discovered among the garbage.

The money will be used for

The sum raised will strengthen the educational aspect of the Adopt'1 Spot program and offer customized support to schools, middle schools and high schools: awareness-raising, on-site waste characterization, coordination of collections, equipment, etc.

MerTerre

5 € = 1 student beneficiary of the Like Ton Job program

already funded

101 difts

Action zones

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Why we love it?

MerTerre's innovative project uses participatory science to raise schoolchildren's awareness of environmental protection issues in a fun way. The comprehensive approach of protecting, monitoring and cleaning up spots, combined with data production, is the best way to educate children while familiarizing them with the scientific approach.

We believe in the power of awareness-raising, to involve the younger generation in the fight against widespread abandoned waste.