To preserve its exceptional aquatic environment – from rivers to the Mediterranean – the City of Mandelieu-La Napoule has bet on innovation and collective intelligence. An "action-reaction" strategy to combat pollution in the aquatic environment is implemented. It is based on the preventive approach - controlling the waste before it enters the environment - and the curative / corrective approach - thoroughly cleaning public sites.
SEA SIDE…
Nets at stormwater outfalls: The installation of nets on the banks of the Siagne River has been a successful experiment. The first phase of the study program was launched at the beginning of 2020. Technical nets, designed to trap debris, were installed at the stormwater outfalls. Two of these nets collect items the size of a polystyrene bead.
Nets on the beaches : Since March 2021, the coastline has been equipped with custom-made anti-cigarette butt and plastic nets. To stop the influx of waste from the stormwater drainage system, a dozen micro-mesh nets have been installed over the drainage outlets of Robinson, Sables d'Or, and Dauphins beaches. This initiative also has an educational purpose: the visible nets will help raise awareness among beachgoers.
Other initiatives.
– Partnership with the Association “Les Fonds Bleus” which alerts and cleans the seabed and thus collaborates in the preservation of the Mediterranean,
– Sensitization of the population during a workshop with Inf'Eau Mer et Méditerranée 2000,
– Creation of a fish nursery in Port de La Napoule, to preserve underwater biodiversity,
– Label Blue Flag* and Clean Ports and Clean Ports Active in Biodiversity ** (European certification) for water quality,
– Ecowetting,
– Installation of gray and black water pumping systems for users.
Mandelieu-La Napoule signed the charter “My territory is committed: rivers, plastic-free river, protected ocean” with the TARA OCEAN Foundation.
This charter aims to preserve the Mediterranean by limiting the consumption of plastics and managing waste. 4 axes are essential:
- Act against the spread of waste
- Fight against plastic pollution
- Transform this issue into an opportunity for mobilization and innovation
- Act in a process of partnership and solidarity.
PELAGOS Charter.
For more than 10 years, the city has been committed to the partnership charter of the PELAGOS sanctuary, which consists of establishing actions to protect marine mammals (pollution, noise, accidental captures and injuries, disturbances, etc.). In Mandelieu-La Napoule, capturing micro-waste using anti-plastic nets before dispersing them in the marine environment is a key measure. This action particularly caught the attention of the monitoring committee, which renewed the charter until October 2023.
Mandelieu-La Napoule, recognized TERRITORY COMMITTED TO NATURE.
The city is working to restore biodiversity wherever possible and is greening all its neighborhoods (cool islands, family parks, the banks of the Siagne River, the greenway) using solutions that preserve natural resources. At the World Conservation Congress in Marseille in September 2021 , the city of Mandelieu-La Napoule was awarded the "Territory Committed to Nature" (TEN) diploma by the Regional Agency for Biodiversity and the Environment.
Mandelieu-La Napoule is indeed betting on a sustainable, reasoned, concerted and balanced development of its territory, to meet the climatic challenges, strengthen and perpetuate its attractiveness.
PORT COAST LABELS…
PAVILLON BLEU is a label with a strong touristic connotation, a symbol of exemplary environmental quality. These are sites with a number of facilities to minimize the impact of tourist traffic. Sorting bins are available to recover waste and the presence of sanitary facilities helps to maintain quality bathing water. Safety and accessibility to bathing for all are also taken into account, as is information on the quality of bathing water and on the local flora and fauna. CLEAN PORTS. This is a European certification that promotes environmental excellence in terms of controlling effluents and waste from port activity.
CLEAN PORTS ACTIVE IN BIODIVERSITY: this certification highlights the commitment of managers who act in favor of local biodiversity in the port and its area of influence. Only ports certified as “Clean Ports” can claim this certification.
IN THE CITY…
Two micro-mesh nets adapted to the nature of the waste: These nets have been successfully tested since 2020. New anti-cigarette butt devices have been added to the network, without obstructing the flow of water.
Smoke-free beaches: Back in 2015, Raguette beach, known for its family-friendly atmosphere, became smoke-free, like all the city's parks and squares. This restriction has since been extended to all beaches along the coastline. At the same time, the city is gradually installing cigarette butt receptacles in its public spaces. Bins equipped with ashtrays have already been installed on the banks of the Siagne River, in Fontaine-Château Square, and around the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station. Eventually, the entire area will be equipped with them. The goal: to catch cigarette butts before they end up in the storm drains and, by extension, in the sea.
"The Sea Begins Here" : 150 plaques have been installed near storm drains. These plaques raise awareness of marine pollution caused by cigarette butts, plastics, and other waste being discarded in public areas, which inevitably end up in the sea.
A welcome halt to shipwrecks and dumping along waterways! The process of cleaning up riverbanks and waterways began in 2019 to permanently remove the wrecks that visually degrade the environment and slowly pollute the waterways. 50 wrecks have been removed from the Siagne River and 12 sunken boats have been removed from the Riou de l'Argentière.
