“You have the right to three shots. “On the quays of the Seine, Camille and Sayaline take turns in their” tri-basket “workshop. This eco-animation of the Paris Plage program does not fail to catch the eye of passers-by, intrigued by these basketball hoops suspended above selective sorting bins. Young and old alike approach, curious to learn the workings of a ritual where, very often, certain objects do not seem to fit into a box.
“People always think they know how to sort their waste. In reality, no one does it completely well, ”comments Camille, member of the Pik Pik Environnement association, dispatched by Syctom, a waste treatment union in Ile-de-France. Among the mistakes often made in allocating the yellow bin (recyclable objects), plastic forks are not recycled, like picnic cups. But then, how to adopt the right gestures? For the facilitator, “To know if an object goes in the yellow bin, you have to ask yourself two questions. The first, what material do I have in my hand (plastic, cardboard, metal)? The second, is it packaging? If so, it is recyclable. Otherwise (if it is a container for example) it goes with household garbage or glass sorting. “
“I try to educate my son about pollution as best I can”
“Do you know what happens to the garbage after the trash can? »Asks Ugo, service provider for Syctom posted on the second animation with Alix. Both are members of E Graine, an association specializing in raising awareness of sustainable development. “There is a truck that picks them up,” replies Clément, 6 years old. Near him, Djibril, 9, observes the pile of motley objects arranged on the table, eyes round like marbles. In front of him, homemade toothpaste and cloth sanitary napkins sit alongside plastic bottles and non-recyclable cottons. Goal of the maneuver: find an ecological alternative to each everyday object. The aluminum foil turns into fabric charlotte, when the solid shampoo removes the usual plastic container.
Among the alternatives offered by the “everything must disappear” workshop, tawashi, this sponge made from socks, has its small effect. “I try to educate my son about pollution as best I can,” comments Cindy, Clément’s mother. “I have already adopted the gourd even if I have trouble with bamboo cutlery” adds this teacher from Bailly (Yvelines) for whom fabric sponges no longer hold any secrets.
“People don’t necessarily know why they sort”
Behind these workshops hides the desire to explain the challenges of recycling and sustainable consumption. “People don’t necessarily know why they are sorting,” observes Alix. “Very often, they just don’t have time to think about it, especially in lower-income neighborhoods. However, there are many uses: plastic, which can be recycled seven times, can be transformed into garden chairs, but also into watering cans. “Not to mention textiles, with fleeces, and even Ikea throws! »Adds Camille. The metal becomes bodywork and the cardboard paper becomes cardboard again. As for glass, “it can be reused endlessly! Sayaline says enthusiastically.
In the meantime, Aziza approached with her two daughters Inès and Lilia. The eldest scores a tri-basketball hoop while Lilia persists in aiming for the yellow trash can, after having guessed that Nesquik’s box was in it, plastic packaging required. “In our building, sorting is quite difficult, we are not offered all types of bins”, regrets Aziza. “It’s a bit vague, but with this workshop, it prepares them for tomorrow. They will be more ready than us ”For the host Sayaline, the sentence hits the mark:“ Children do well in sorting, sometimes better than their parents. It’s funny because they are the ones who can educate them ”