Page 102 - Monaco Economy 124

WHAT ELSE Green

SMA

Reduce/Re-use/Recycle: how to consume better, reducing our

environmental footprint by Kevin Racle

Environmental issues and the resulting consequences have been such as Les Mag du Tri (The Waste Guide),
at the centre of the Principality’s concerns for many years. The which can be downloaded online at www.

government, following the prerogatives of HSH Prince Albert II, sma.mc. Here again, they remind us of the
right actions and habits to adopt in terms
has been highly proactive in this direction and continues to be so. of waste treatment.
The proper management of waste and its future are amongst the Monacollecte: an event that links solidarity,

country’s primary environmental objectives. collection and sorting of waste
After a successful first edition in February,
Even though the problem of waste by setting up an educational programme. the Prince’s government and the SMA, in
management was tackled head on by Monaco “We work in classrooms, from kindergarten partnership with the town hall of Monaco, are
in 2008 with the installation of sorting to middle school,” explains Marie Berard. returning for a second edition of Monacollecte
containers making it possible to recycle “We want to highlight the human side of on 3 and 4 March 2023. “This event offers
glass, household packaging and paper, the these actions. Once again, our message people the opportunity to bring everything
government wanted to go further and take must be heard, understood and adopted by they no longer know what to do with to one
advance action. Marie Berard, Deputy Director all generations. It was necessary to make place, including waste that cannot be thrown
of the Environmental Cleanliness Department it more playful and less restrictive. On the away in conventional containers (yellow,
at Monaco’s waste disposal and urban occasion of the European Week for Waste green or grey bins) and objects that could
cleaning company, SMA, explains the new Reduction from 19 to 27 November 2022 still be useful,” explains Marie Berard. This
challenges: “In 2017, a sovereign ordinance on the theme of textiles, the CPRs will initiative also allows charities to recover
was published which set new conditions for organise a treasure hunt in the Principality objects in good condition in order to give
waste management. The first obligation is, for families. To complete its approach, the them a second life. To participate, go to the
above all, to prevent the production of waste. SMA offers several educational documents, website www.sma.mc/monacollecte.
Then, you have to focus on reduction, either
by re-use or recycling and then, ultimately,
recover the residual waste. After that, the
objectives evolved. “We have adapted our
message,” assures Marie Berard. “Before,
our communication focused on sorting, in
order to recycle as much waste as possible.
Now, we communicate with the three Rs:
Reduce/Re-use/Recycle. Our next campaign
is intended to be accessible to all and full of
common sense.” And therein lies the most
notable change. On a daily basis, Marie Berard
and her teams do their utmost to show users
the right things to do but also to answer their
questions and queries. “Our job is to support
the population as much as possible. It is our
duty to prove that with simple gestures, it is
possible to reduce, re-use and recycle your
waste,” insists the Deputy Director.

A more fun and less restrictive method
A team of waste prevention and recycling
officers (CPRs) provide daily assistance to Depositphotos © SIphotography
the public. They work with individuals and
companies, as well as with children, notably

102