Simon Bernard responds to La Vanguardia’s call from Guayaquil (Ecuador), a few days before starting the Pacific crossing. This 32-year-old French naval engineer and merchant marine officer is co-founder and president of Plastic Odyssey, an organization dedicated to fighting plastic pollution, one of the worst ecological disasters of our time.
The expedition led by Bernard began in October 2022 and will last three years. There are about twenty on board the ship, mostly French speakers from three continents. The Plastic Odyssey – named after the project – is an old oceanographic exploration vessel, 39 meters long, completely remodeled. They first toured the Mediterranean (Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia) and then continued with stops in Senegal, Cape Verde, Brazil, French Guiana, several Caribbean islands, Colombia and Panama.
The idea came to Bernard in 2016 when he saw Hann beach, next to Dakar (Senegal), one of the most dramatic examples of uncontrolled plastic waste. The initiative has among its sponsors a major French cosmetics firm and a bank, in addition to private donations. Plastic Odyssey needs two million euros a year to carry out its work.
Contrary to what it may seem, the objective of the expedition is not so much to clean the oceans of already accumulated plastic, but rather to look for durable and cheap recycling solutions, as well as, above all, to raise awareness for minimal use of a material in the future. so problematic. “We have to focus on the land, which is where we will have the most impact,” says Bernard. The boat helps us move around and reach places that are difficult to access, such as islands.” The founder of the NGO also breaks the myth that there is a septic continent, a gigantic island made up of plastic waste. “When you are at sea, you don’t really realize the problem,” he explains. There is actually very little plastic floating on the surface. “It is submerged or on the coast.” According to Bernard, it is unrealistic, technically and economically, to clean the oceans and filter the water from microplastics, but dumping must be drastically stopped. It is estimated that about twenty tons of plastic end up in the seas every minute.
The Plastic Odyssey has an onboard laboratory on low tech procedures (simple, cheap and patent-free technologies) for recycling. Already used plastic can be turned into paving stones, tiles or a multitude of practical objects. At each stop there are valuable exchanges with local companies and recyclers. The expedition members were especially impressed by the experiences in Colombia.
–What is the main thing you have learned from this trip?
–We realize daily that what really works has usually not been visible, has remained off the radar and is not known. They are people who have woken up and do not receive subsidies. I have been impressed by the ingenuity with which they manage to make things that work very well with few resources.
–Any special discovery you want to mention?
–We see that countries in difficulty, those that have fewer resources than France or Europe in general, are the ones that have invented the most innovative and original systems, those that consume less energy, are cheaper and work better. There is much to learn from places where deprivation occurs, from poor countries. It is where there is more ingenuity and innovation.
–You are very young. He is 32 years old. I imagine it is a dream to be able to take this trip.
–Without a doubt, it is an incredible opportunity. It’s exciting to meet people who are dedicated to an issue that isn’t necessarily sexy. We find ourselves in landfills, in factories that process waste. They are not easily accessible places. At first they are reluctant. But the boat helps us. When they visit us they understand it right away. Then they welcome us with open arms.
The Plastic Odyssey still has a long route through Oceania, Asia and Africa until it returns to Marseille, the port of departure, in 2025. Before saying goodbye, Bernard emphasizes that there is no misunderstanding about its main mission: “Be careful, Recycling is not the solution for plastic, as the industry sometimes claims. We cannot continue as if nothing had happened. Recycling is a solution of the past, but not of the future. Our message is to reduce your consumption as much as possible.”
