The Plastic Odyssey of a French Sailor
Simon Bernard’s “Plastic Odyssey” – A Global Crusade to Eliminate Ocean Wastes
b>Born 1990, Bernard Benched the stark beaches of Dakar in 2016, converting a personal shock into a worldwide mission. His expedition aboard a 130‑foot research vessel now spans three continents, counting thirty three‑week port visits.
b>First Encounter – The Racked Shores of Hann Bay
On the deck of a cargo ship, Bernard saw mountains of rubbish that had once sifted off a clean Senegalese beach. “At sea you don’t see the plastic,” he told AFP, “but on the coast you see it piled into the tide.”
b>The “Plastic Odyssey” – A Three‑Year, 40‑Metre Expedition
- b>Objective: Raise global awareness of the daily 20‑tonne minute of plastics dumped into oceans.
- b>Audience: Port‑side publics, especially children, through onsite talks and interactive demos.
- b>Partnerships: Local associations at each stop, from Marseille to Chennai to Recife.
b>Funding and Support
Bernard secured sponsorships, the first from a French cosmetics brand aiming to increase recycled plastic in its products. He acknowledges the limits of his impact, citing setbacks of previous initiatives.
b>Past Low‑Yield Projects – Acknowledging the Experience
b>The Ocean Cleanup (2013) achieved early attention but faced design and logistical issues; a recent reboot shows promise. SeaCleaners (2018) folded after financial mismanagement. Bernard believes small, local efforts still matter.
b>Man, Machine, and Maritime Community
His staff of 35 now includes engineers, educators, and local volunteers. Bernard’s crew demonstrates that “the real solution is to avoid plastic” by implementing solutions that eliminate bottled water.
b>Port Visits – Innovation on the Move
- b>Marseille, Beirut, Dakar – Local start‑ups collect, sort or recycle plastic.
- b>Recife, Madras (Chennai) – Two dozen other ports host regional partners.
- b>Mayotte – Currently the final port before completing 30 stops across the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific.
- b>Inventiveness – Bernard admires efforts from entrepreneurs in Lebanon who collect household waste from 60,000 door‑to‑door residents in a country lacking public service for plastic disposal.
b>Living on the Boat – A Personal Commitment
After abandoning an apartment in 2022, Bernard now resides aboard the vessel, guiding the Plastic Odyssey as a floating laboratory and home.
b>Cataloguing Local Plastic‑Free Solutions
A catalog of 100+ local solutions showcases ways to avoid petroleum‑derived plastic. Bernard adopted one that converts sea water into drinkable water, saving 25,000 water bottles in two years – a tonne of plastic.
b>A Future Without Plastic – The Summit in Geneva
Nearly 200 nations convene in Geneva this week to forge a treaty addressing the global plastics crisis. A divisive issue is whether the treaty should reduce plastic production at the source rather than merely cleaning up after the fact.
Simon Bernard’s “Plastic Odyssey” continues to inspire local innovations and global discussions, proving that even modest actions can steer humanity toward a plastic‑free future.
