Circular River – Collection and recovery of floating waste from the Garonne

In the heart of Bordeaux, the river Garonne has been for centuries a major axis of economic, cultural and urban development. Like many major rivers in the world, it is now confronted with the growing presence of floating waste that drifts towards the Gironde estuary and then the ocean.

The Circular River initiative, led by Bordeaux Métropole, aims to experiment with the installation of a collection system for floating macrowaste in the river. This trap will make it possible to intercept part of the waste carried by the current while producing data on its nature, origin and trajectory.

Beyond collecting, the project is part of a scientific process in collaboration with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), in order to better understand the drift of plastics between rivers, estuary and ocean, with the possibility of integrating sensors to study microplastics.

The project is also based on international cooperation. Inspired by the devices deployed on the Thames by the Port of London, the project is part of a dynamic of exchange of experiences between major urban rivers of the world. This project illustrates the circulation of solutions between rivers: it could in turn inspire other fluvial territories confronted with floating waste.

By combining concrete action, scientific research and public awareness, Fleuve Circulaire aims to transform an environmental problem into a tool for knowledge and citizen mobilization.

The initiative thus aims to make Bordeaux a demonstration territory and an innovation laboratory for the management of floating waste in large urban rivers subject to tides, and to contribute to the sharing of solutions between rivers around the world in order to better protect aquatic environments and oceans.

With Fleuve circulaire, Bordeaux is transforming its river into an innovation laboratory to fight climate change.