On April 8, 2023, Project Rescue Ocean organized a beach clean-up in Bandol. For the occasion, about twenty volunteers came… including us! Let me tell you about this enriching morning.
project rescue ocean
First, let's do the introductions. Project Rescue Oceann is an association whose purpose is to protect the sea and the oceans. Until then, you're going to tell me “yes, it's written in the name”. Yes, but what you may not know is that this association is international. And it turns out that dozens of branches have been created around the world, including one in Toulon.
What brings all these beautiful people together is an important fact: everything that is thrown on land ends up at sea. In addition to not being very cool for swimmers, it is downright dangerous for marine fauna and flora. The association has therefore set itself the task of raise awareness of environmental protection and organize "clean beaches" operations around the world. Just that.
collection task!
In April 2023, it was therefore the turn of our Bandol coasts to be restored. The meeting was given: 9 a.m. in the car park of the capelin park for a full morning of garbage collection. On site, about twenty volunteers responded. The intention was the same: give a little of his time to better enjoy our dear city. Because it's always more pleasant to tan without being face to face with cigarette butts and to swim in a sea without plastics.
Our route was as follows: Capelan beach, English cove, Engraviers beach, Barry and Eden Roc. The coastal path. All this on a sunny Saturday morning… There is still a worse situation!
All the material was provided by the association. Thus, each volunteer had his own paraphernalia: a burlap bag for waste, gloves and a glass jar for cigarette butts. Gloves on, trainers on and glasses on, the operation was launched.
good news and bad news
Which one do we start with? Come on, maid. We can proudly say that Bandol is a clean city (thanks to the municipal services). Neither the beaches nor the streets were dirty or filled with rubbish, quite the contrary. So so far, great!
The bad news can be summed up in one word: butt. Those cigarette corpses were absolutely everywhere. On sidewalks, roads, in planters, at the foot of trees, on beaches and even in the pine forest, right in the middle of pine needles. Remember that we have been on drought alert since February and thata cigarette butt, just one, can destroy absolutely all of nature and our city along the way. In less than an hour, each of us had filled a large glass jar with cigarette butts found around the Capelin beach and English Cove.
Little reminder : a cigarette butt goes out and is thrown into a trash can or a pocket ashtray. Otherwise, at best, it will take 10 years to decompose in nature (and its chemical compounds with it), at worst, it will set the whole pine forest on fire.
noon: sorting time
After a morning spent walking the beaches, head for Eden roc. There, the association had prepared a waste sorting area: plastic, metal, paper… Together, we sorted the bags of all the volunteers. And you know what ? In 3 hours, we collected more than twenty kilos of waste (including a trash can and a barrier) and no less than 1 cigarette butts ! Holy booty!
The waste sorted and put in the appropriate bins, one last surprise awaited us: an aperitif on the beach, feet in the water. Because as they say, after the effort, the comfort!
summary of this morning
We can sum up this morning in a few words: discovery, surprise and duty accomplished. Discovery, because, for a lot of us, this collection was a first and we all loved the good-natured atmosphere and the kindness of the association. Not to mention the opportunity to spend a morning in the great outdoors! The surprise came mainly from cigarette butts. We all wondered " who can still throw their cigarette butts in nature?“. It seems inconceivable to us! Finally, we can say it, we had a small feeling of accomplishment because we all acted for the planet that day. It is therefore a feeling of being in harmony with our environment, with the nature that surrounds us on a daily basis, which has invaded us. In summary: a great action, a great association, a great morning!
and it's not over !
Project Rescue Ocean organizes waste collection sessions throughout the year, almost everywhere in the Var, and not only... This association goes further by offering workshops, awareness-raising, actions in schools, etc. We can all be agents of change, especially with this beautiful association. Do not hesitate to contact them:
