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A plastic-free river : in partnership with the Fondation Tara Océan and CNR, IFGR is calling for the candidates in the French municipal elections to act

 

5-Echantillons-récoltés-grâce-au-filet-manta-©-Noëlie-Pansiot-Fondation-Tara-Océan8 million tonnes of plastic are discarded into the oceans every year and 80% of this plastic waste found in the seas comes from dry land.  In the European rivers studied during the scientific mission, MicroPlastiques2019, carried out by the Fondation Tara Océan, plastics were omnipresent, already in fragmented and microplastic form. And they even act as sponges for highly toxic pollutants. Washed into the oceans, these plastic particles accumulate the pollutants present in rivers on their surfaces, with impacts on biodiversity.

 

The solutions are on land!

Driven by the same conviction, municipal leaders have a role to play in turning this global challenge into concrete solutions in their territories and in mobilising every local actor. The fondation Tara Océan, IFGR and CNR have joined together to call on candidates in the forthcoming municipal elections in France on 15 and 22 March. Candidates of large cities and small towns everywhere in France have already signed the charter “My territory is committed: rivers without plastic, the oceans protected” and committed themselves, once elected, to implement the measures promulgated by the charter.

 

15 measures to guide mayors in their local policies

This practical and concrete charter comprises 15 measures to be implemented on the scale of municipalities and watersheds, grouped in 4 major directions of action.

  1. I will act against the propagation of plastic waste
  2. I will make the combat against plastic pollution a priority of my mandate to guide all public policies
  3. I will transform this challenge into an opportunity for action and innovation
  4. I will act in the spirit of partnership and solidarity

Currently aimed at the municipal leaders of France, the scope of this charter is global to combat a global scourge. Its initiators are ready to propose it to associations of municipal leaders in other countries.

  Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris and candidate in municipal elections, signs the charter aboard Tara 

 

 

 Key figures

 

  • 8 million tonnes of plastic are discarded into world’s oceans every year. This represents a garbage truck every minute (study by Jambeck et al. – 2015). If nothing is done, this number will increase to two a minute from now to 2030, and four a minute by 2050.
  • 5,000 billion pieces of plastic are floating on the surface of our oceans.More than 90% are in microplastic state (Eriksen and coll. – 2014).
  • Europe is the second biggest polluter with 600,000 tonnes of waste a year after Asia (China alone discards 2.8 million tonnes a year).
  • A third of the plastic used in France is used for packaging; nearly 60% of this plastic is found discarded into the natural environment and rivers (Pacte National sur les emballages plastiques – 2019).

For further information  

Crédit photo : Fondation Tara Océan / IFGR-Camille Moirenc

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