Sailor's Individual 'Plastic Voyage' in France
In the heart of the ocean, a 40-meter laboratory ship named Plastic Odyssey sails, carrying a mission to combat plastic waste in our seas. The expedition, led by Bernard and another engineer, Alexandre Dechelotte, embarked on a round-the-world journey called "Plastic Odyssey" to raise awareness about the devastating impact of the 20 tonnes of plastic waste dumped into the oceans every minute.
During stops in Marseille, Beirut, Dakar, Recife, Madras (Chennai) and over two dozen other ports, Bernard met with local associations, start-ups, and companies working to collect, sort, or recycle plastic. The Plastic Odyssey has catalogued over a hundred local solutions for doing without plastic, a material derived from petroleum.
One of the expedition's key focuses is on empowering local communities. Through training and supporting local entrepreneurs, hands-on workshops aboard the Plastic Odyssey vessel, and sharing knowledge and practical solutions adapted to local environmental contexts, the expedition demonstrates successful small-scale efforts to reduce plastic pollution primarily through local entrepreneur incubation and recycling innovation programs.
In Mauritius, a country where only 4% of 75,000 tons of plastic waste is recycled annually, the expedition held its 25th onboard laboratory incubation session. This program trained and empowered a new generation of local recycling entrepreneurs by combining theoretical knowledge, showcasing international initiatives, and conducting practical workshops to develop concrete solutions against plastic pollution.
Bernard has adopted several of these solutions, including one that eliminates the need for plastic bottles on board the boat. He marvels at the "inventiveness" of the people he met, especially those who have lost everything. One such example is an entrepreneur in Lebanon who collected recyclable household waste door-to-door from 60,000 people in a country that no longer has a public service for disposing of plastic.
The Plastic Odyssey has not been without its challenges. The SeaCleaners, another initiative launched from France in 2018, reported disappointing yields of plastic pollution and folded operations last year due to financial mismanagement. However, Bernard remains undeterred, finding inspiration in the resilience of the communities he encounters.
Currently, Bernard is in Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, nearing the end of his 30 three-week stops in three continents. He gave up his apartment two and a half years into his adventure and now lives on the boat. Despite the modest impact his initiative has had on the global fight against plastic pollution, he continues to sail, spreading awareness and fostering innovation in the fight against ocean plastic waste.
References: [1] Plastic Odyssey. (n.d.). Our approach. Retrieved from https://www.plasticodyssey.org/en/our-approach/ [2] Plastic Odyssey. (n.d.). Our impact. Retrieved from https://www.plasticodyssey.org/en/our-impact/
- The environmental science behind plastic waste and its impact on the climate-change is addressed by the Plastic Odyssey expedition, encouraging sustainable-living and waste reduction through local entrepreneur incubation and recycling innovation programs.
- During the Plastic Odyssey's voyage, they discovered innovative recycling solutions in various countries such as Mauritius and Lebanon, showcasing how home-and-garden waste can be managed efficiently on a local level.
- To further this mission, Bernard adopted several of these solutions, transforming his home-and-garden aboard the Plastic Odyssey into a model of sustainable-living, eliminating the need for plastic bottles and inspiring others to do the same.
