Month: June 2024

An initiative created by the Monte-Carlo Casino to eliminate discarded cigarette butts from finding their way into the seas has morphed into a full-scale operation that has spread to the whole of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group.  

Current estimates suggest that there are around 4.5 trillion cigarette butts polluting our planet. Stubbornly refusing to biodegrade and slowly emitting a chemical cocktail of toxic and carcinogenic substances, they frequently make their way into the natural environment, damaging soils, waterways, lakes and the oceans.  

There are several initiatives in place in the Principality that aim to limit the chances of cigarette butts being washed into the Mediterranean, from the Zéro Mégot campaign run by the Mairie de Monaco to the signs put up around the Place du Casino that remind the public to use the available rubbish bins and avoid littering. 

The Monte-Carlo Casino decided to take things further and, having collected up a massive amount of discarded butts, its management team reached out to TchaoMégot, a French company that specialises in recycling butts without using water or chemicals in a bid to turn them into useful items such as thermal insulation and other alternative products.  

Around 56,000 butts have already been sent to TchaoMégot. They have since been transformed into 15.8kg of insulation via a process that saved 28 million litres of water and 197kg of CO2 compared to traditional techniques.

This idea has now caught on and is being embraced by the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group (SBM), the owners of the Casino, who recently used some of this ingenious insulation at Monte-Carlo Beach. The hotel is now also collecting cigarette butts for TchaoMégot.  

For more information on the work being done by TchaoMégot, click here.

Read related:

Monaco revives free ashtray campaign to reduce cigarette butt pollution

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Main photo source: TchaoMégot, Facebook

The recent awards ceremony for the 2024 edition of the Océano Pour Tous competition, which seeks to inspire the next generation of children to collectively create and implement ways to protect the marine environment, brought together nine classes of students from around the world for a day of learning and celebration at the Musée Océanographique de Monaco. 

The Océanographic Museum of Monaco recently celebrated a decade of marine conservation education under the Océano Pour Tous banner. For 10 years now, the competition has encouraged children in primary and secondary schools across the globe to come up with new and innovative ideas relating to ocean conservation and protections for the marine biodiversity.  

On Wednesday 12th June, the nine winning local and international classes who had entered this year’s competition were invited to the museum to receive their awards in person or virtually for those from further afield.  

Estelle Lefébure, the co-founder of the Spero Mare association and the event’s patron for the second consecutive year, led the ceremony alongside Robert Calcagno, the Director-General of the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco.  

Lefébure told Monaco Life, “It is essential to raise awareness among the younger generations as they are the future of our planet. This competition provides them with knowledge, confidence and hope. It is up to us to support them in this endeavour.” 

Calcagno added, “This edition is particularly symbolic as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the competition, and we are very proud. This year, Océano Pour Tous has helped raise awareness among nearly 1,000 students yet again.” 

2024 winners 

The Océano Pour Tous competition is traditionally divided into three categories: schools within 1,100km of Monaco, those from beyond that marker and schools situated in the Indian Ocean area.  

Among the winners in the first category was a 4ème class from the Collège Robert Schuman in Behren-lès-Forbach in the Grand Est region of France. A 6ème class from the Collège Jean Perrin in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region received the Special Mention Prize, having been chosen by the Friends of the Oceanographic Museum (AAMOM), and the Encouragement Prize went to a CM1/CM2 class from the Ecole Marcel Pagnol in Cannes.  

In the Beyond 1,100 km category, the main prize was awarded to a 5ème class from the Groupement Dispersé d’Observation in Maupiti, French Polynesia. The AAMOM Special Mention Prize was given to a CM1/CM2 class from Collège Gérard Holder in Cayenne, French Guiana, and the Encouragement Prize was given to a 6ème class from Collège de Faaroa in Raiatea in French Polynesia.  

The winners in the Indian Ocean category were all from La Réunion: a CE2/CM1 class from Ecole des Benjoins in Les Trois-Bassins won the main prize; the AAMOM Special Mention was picked up by a 6ème class from Collège Quartier Français Lucet Langenier in Sainte Suzanne; and the Encouragement Prize was awarded to a CM2 class from EEPU Saint Leu Centre.  

Far beyond a symbolic award, the winners of the 2024 Océano Pour Tous competition will also receive an array of additional perks, such as funding for extracurricular ocean-related activities and assistance in turning their concepts into reality.  

The Océano Pour Tous is held each year with input from the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, the French National Education system and Monaco’s Department of National Education, Youth and Sports.  

Read related:

Interview: Robert Calcagno, CEO Oceanographic Institute – Prince Albert I Foundation

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok. 

Photo by Monaco Life