The numbers tell the story: 36.5 kilograms of litter, 237 cigarette butts, 100 pieces of chewing gum, and countless takeaway food containers. All abandoned along Monaco’s coastline. All collected within six days. All discarded despite numerous public bins being readily available.
On Tuesday 10th February, students from the CM2 class at Institution François d’Assise-Nicolas BarrĂ© confronted this reality firsthand during a coastal cleanup of Monaco’s Marine Education Area, organised with support from the Monegasque Sanitation Company (SMA).
From observation to action
Over the six days prior, SMA workers collected every piece of litter abandoned on the ground along the site. The waste was weighed in front of the students—36.5 kilograms—then categorised with professional guidance. Glass, household waste, food packaging. The children identified what people throw away most frequently.
Then came the hands-on work. Equipped with gloves and collection materials, students worked in small groups to clean the site themselves. The activity revealed more than just surface litter. Their efforts uncovered 237 cigarette butts, approximately 100 pieces of chewing gum, various household waste including takeaway food packaging, and fishing-related materials: hooks, weights, tangled lines.
Making ambassadors
At the end of the morning, SMA awarded each student a ‘Coastal Protector’ certificate, recognising their environmental commitment. The company also distributed collection bags and educational tools to transform them into ambassadors for waste sorting and marine protection.
The initiative achieved more than a clean beach. It allowed children to observe pollution reality rather than just hear about it, understand the direct link between daily actions and coastal conditions, and develop a sense of responsibility for their environment. The message: protection is everyone’s responsibility, and individual actions matter.
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Photo source: AMPN