- In less than a year, around 750 pleasure boats have been recycled in France.
- Since January 1, 2019, individuals can have their old boat deconstructed for free via the Association for Eco-Responsible Boating.
- Funded by an eco-contribution, the APER seeks to publicize the 24 recycling centers it has approved.
They hang out at the bottom of the gardens, protected by an old blue tarp whose plastic is fraying. They are enthroned in the mud flats bordering the rivers or the French coasts. Or languish behind the hangars of a sailing club. For years, even decades, these old boats have not felt the contact of water. But they stay there, are part of the landscape. Maybe more for a long time.
Last year, the French nautical sector acquired a precious tool to recycle its old hulls. Set up on January 1, 2019, the latest of the “eco-contributions” requires each boat buyer to pay a tax that will finance the recycling of their boat. Less than a year after its creation, the sector draws a positive assessment of its missions but is still seeking to make itself known to the general public. His best argument? Free. Explanations.
Only transportation is charged
“The old boats, we need to deconstruct them. When it's a wooden thing at the bottom of a mudflat, it can have a charm. But when it is a plastic shell that turns green, it is much less attractive ”. Yvon Ropars is the commercial director of Recycleurs Bretons. Based in Guipavas, in Finistère, his company has been deconstructing old boats for a long time. But for some time now, it has also tackled yachting.
“Before the implementation of the new regulations, we had a few communities that asked us but few individuals because we had to pay at least 400 or 500 euros. People didn't want to pay for it, ”said the Breton. For one year, the deconstruction of the boats is free for the owners. Only transportation is charged.
A small step for Plaisance, a big one for France! 🇫🇷
The APER organizes and finances the deconstruction of boats now free for French boaters ⛵️
To find out more: https://t.co/doARNtG4je #bateaux #plaisance #EconomieCirculaire #environnement pic.twitter.com/YRKBGSMR0Z
In Finistère as in all of France, the Association for eco-responsible yachting has therefore approved 24 companies capable of deconstructing end-of-life pleasure boats. “A maintained boat does not really have an expiration date. But after a while it is no longer worth anything. If they do not sail, they become waste and it is not acceptable to leave them lying around, ”explains Guillaume Arnauld des Lions, spokesperson for APER.
"We thought we had more requests"
Since September and the establishment of the sector, the association has seen 750 boats being recycled. "We thought we had more requests but we realize that the device recyclermonbateau.fr is not yet well enough known".
The sector is struggling to raise awareness among the oldest, who are a little distant from digital media and waste management concerns. “Most of the boats we deal with are over 40 years old. But sometimes people don't want to part with it, they promise to retype it one day. Even if they never do, ”says Guillaume Arnauld des Lions.
Like recycling mobile phones, the treatment of boats also makes it possible to recycle certain materials. Cast iron, stainless steel and other metals can be melted down and reused. Plastic and soiled parts are transformed into fuel used by cement factories in particular. "We manage to reprocess 90% of the materials", promise the Breton Recyclers. In less than a year of existence, the new sector is already seeing great reasons for satisfaction. “In Finistère, you could see abandoned boats everywhere. This is less and less the case, ”says Yvon Ropars. As for the size of the deposit, it remains very difficult to assess. "We think there would be 40,000 boats, maybe 50,000 but that is only an estimate."
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