Net'Léman, the largest lake clean-up in Europe, organised by the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman (ASL), is continuing to set an example by mobilising the public to rid the lake of waste.
More than 1,000 volunteers, including 300 divers, took part in this tenth edition, collecting more than 3,400 kg of rubbish from 12 areas that were thoroughly combed. The results were encouraging compared with previous years, with fewer large items of waste (car batteries, batteries, tyres, scrap metal and other bulky items) being found.
However, the picture has remained the same since 2010, with the constant presence of everyday waste such as PET and glass bottles, aluminium cans, cigarette butts and a multitude of packaging, objects and fragments, mostly made of plastic and single-use. Nearly 20% of what ends up in Lake Geneva is linked to the consumption of food and drink. And let's not forget cigarette butts, which are still very numerous: more than 22,000 were collected in all the sectors cleaned up. Let's not forget that a single cigarette butt can potentially pollute 500 litres of water.
This year's event was also dedicated to the theme of reusability. From social networking sites to the meals served to volunteers, the event was keen to raise public awareness of the need to reduce the use of disposable materials.
Find out more about the event's other actions and the official results at Net'Léman 2020 assessment
