10 ways to refuse plastic services at the takeaway...improvised!
Videos
The concept
Two noisy and funny teams go head-to-head in a humorous battle over littering
Objectives: inform the public about the pollution caused by litter and propose solutions to prevent it from polluting Lake Geneva
Our stars
Alan Roura
Browser
Aliose
Musicians
Thibaud Agoston
Comedian
Noam Yaron
Content creator
Cinzia Cattaneo
Nadim Kayne
Comedian
Littering info
What is littering?
Littering is defined as leaving rubbish outside a rubbish bin in the public space This includes waste such as takeaway food packaging, PET bottles and beer cans, but also small items of wasteThe material can be used for a variety of purposes, such as tissues, scraps of paper, chewing gum and cigarette butts.
When we think of littering, we imagine someone who has deliberately thrown their rubbish on the ground. In reality, studies show that the vast majority of people believe that littering is unjustified. Despite this, a large amount of rubbish is still found on the ground. This behaviour is often linked to a lack of awareness of the problem, or to forgetfulness or justifications: we tell ourselves that a small piece of rubbish doesn't count, that it will be picked up, or that we threw our rubbish on the ground because there was no rubbish bin nearby. However, it's all the same, these justifications are unfounded According to psychological studies, they are linked to an automatic defence mechanism designed to prevent us from perceiving ourselves in a negative light following the performance of a behaviour that we know to be wrong.
Unfortunately, it doesn't matter why or how you throw rubbish on the ground, its impact on the environment will be the same It doesn't matter if there aren't any bins available or what you want to throw away, you must never leave it on the ground, because it is far more likely to stay there than be collected, and it is certain to have a negative impact on the environment, human beings and the economy.
What are the consequences?
Environmental impact
Waste left on the ground can pollute ecosystems: they are spread by the wind or run-off water and reduce the quality of the environment.
Wildlife is particularly affected by litter pollution: by ingestion (waste can look like prey) or strangulationThis can lead to inflammation, reduced food intake or death. Over time, plastic waste breaks down into small particles, microplastics which can release chemical substances such as endocrine disruptors that have a negative impact on physiology, metabolism, behaviour or reproduction (reduced number of eggs laid, reduced growth). These plastics can also act as a surface for biofilm and a habitat for viruses and bacteria.
Economic impact
According to the FOEN, 192 million Swiss francs are spent each year on cleaning up Littering. Added to this are all the costs associated with prevention and awareness-raising, which are hard to estimate. Whatever the case, it's a big chunk of the community's budget.
Impact on human beings
Litter detracts from the beauty of an area, with an impact on healthy livingin particular through an increase in negative emotions such as anger. anger and the frustration and a reduction in positive emotions. There is also an impact on health, particularly through risk of injury (especially for children), as well as a potential impact linked to ingestion of microparticles.
What to do about litter
There are a multitude of very simple solutions that can be adopted to reduce littering and lessen its impact:
1. Reduce the amount of waste you produce
Favour reusable items: for a picnic, use reusable crockery, or crockery from home.
Refuse single-use plastics: at takeaways and when shopping for food and non-food items.
2. Disposing of waste correctly
If the nearest bin is full, there's usually another not far away.
After a picnic, check that no rubbish has been left behind
Don't forget that small objects also count: small pieces of paper, cigarette ends, chewing gum, etc.
Be careful what you drop from your pockets
Don't assume that waste on land will be picked up: it is much more likely to be blown away by the wind or run-off water and have a negative impact on the environment.
3. And why not pick up a piece of rubbish found on the ground when you see one?
Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman www.asleman.org
Infographics available on : https://asleman.org/infographies/
Aqua Viva 3 (2018) Microplastics in our lakes and rivers
Bator, Bryan, Schultz (2011), Who Gives a Hoot? Intercept surveys of litterers and disposers
Littering Toolbox Litterling-Toolbox: What is littering?<br> How to combat littering (littering-toolbox.ch)
FOEN - Littering has a cost (2011) Littering has a cost (admin.ch)
Plastic pollution - a time bomb. Report by the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (2020)
Zerowaste https://zerowasteswitzerland.ch/fr/notre-offre/nos-guides
ASL info
Since 1980, the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman (ASL) has been working to keep the waters of the lake and its tributaries as pure as possible. Having won the battle against phosphates and polluting pipes, other concerns now require our vigilance, such as macro-waste, micro-plastics, micro-pollutants and invasive species.
The ASL raises public awareness of these issues, in particular by organising actions on the ground that enable everyone to take action. Net' Léman, the major clean-up event around the lake, is one of the ASL's flagship initiatives, attracting more than a thousand volunteers each year and enabling between five and ten tonnes of waste of all kinds to be collected, sorted and, if possible, recycled.
For many years, the ASL has been raising awareness of the problem of litter and its impact on the environment, and more specifically on the flora and fauna of Lake Geneva and the water we drink. Through its many actions, the ASL has succeeded in reaching a wide audience.
Aware that changes in behaviour are brought about by a number of factors, the ASL is seeking to introduce environmentally-friendly practices by informing the general public and proposing solutions to prevent waste from polluting the environment.
However, like other environmental campaigners, it is more difficult to reach a public that is less 'committed' to the cause. That's why we came up with the idea of reaching out to people who live by the lake, where litter is regularly found.
In order to promote positive communication, the project proposes a funny and "up-to-the-minute" format that invites onlookers to come and see the project for themselves. themselves rather than meeting them head-on.
Improvisational theatre is therefore an ideal vehicle for getting messages across in an offbeat tone and reaching out to young and old alike.
Impro Impact
Function : Creation of the "theatrical" concept and animation of the Trash Quiz
Presentation: A winning association in the UNIGE 2020 call for SD projects, co-founded by a former ASL civil servant, whose aim is to raise public awareness of various social issues through the performing arts and, principally, theatrical improvisation.
Rogue Studio (www.roguestudio.ch)
Function Sound and image recording, creation of visuals and media content.
Presentation: A web and branding agency, specialising in content production, with whom ASL has already worked successfully on the creation of the Net'Léman application and its crowdfunding campaign in June 2019.
UNIGE (www.unige.ch)
Function : Advice on behavioural changes, including monitoring the impact of the project.
Association pour la Sauvegarde du Léman
Rue des Cordiers, 2
1207 Geneva
022 786 36 20
www.asleman.org
