Now bobbing in the water off the Quai Jarlan in Port Hercule are 42 innovative new floating traps that have been specially designed to prevent waste materials and rubbish from finding their way into the Mediterranean Sea. Here’s how the new system works.
The Monaco Government, the Société d’Exploitation des Ports de Monaco and the Société Monégasque d’Assainissement have come together to try out a network of aquatic bins and waste interceptors that were designed by a French company called Pollustock, which is based in Mandelieu-La Napoule.
The 42 waste baskets have been deployed at sites in and around Quai Jarlan’s pre-existing network of rainwater evacuation grids; places where rainwater drains into the port.
The hope is that the traps will prevent rubbish such as cigarette butts and bits of plastic from finding their way into the sea.
The government says that the baskets demonstrate a “proactive response to the growing concerns linked to marine pollution” and reflect the “continued commitment of the Prince’s Government to the protection of marine ecosystems”.
“By joining forces with the Société Monégasque d’Assainissement and Pollustock, the Prince’s Government and the Société d’Exploitation des Ports de Monaco are strengthening their collaborative approach by involving key players specialised in waste management and the design of environmental solutions,” reads an official statement from the government. “This alliance illustrates [a] common commitment to a more sustainable future and the preservation of Monaco’s marine riches.”
A slew of new ashtrays have also been installed in the Port Hercule area in a bid to encourage smokers to sensibly and responsibly dispose of used cigarette butts rather than discard them on the ground.
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