This is a first in Ile-de-France: the town of Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine) called on the Plaxtil company, which transforms our used masks into plastic objects, for a major collection operation.
Launched on Wednesday, the recycling campaign is already attracting a good number of Meudonnais.
In the aisles of the Maison-Rouge market on Sunday morning, many of them came to put their old surgical masks in a cardboard terminal.
“Finally I know where I'm going to get rid of those old masks.
I stored them at home without really knowing where I could throw them.
And there, in addition, they will be recycled into school materials.
It's really a good idea !
», Says Bertrand, who once these masks discarded, rubs a dab of hydroalcoholic gel between his hands.
Twenty-five cardboard kiosks have been deployed all over the city's various districts: in the covered market halls of Val Fleury and Bellevue, at the entrance to the town hall, in middle and high schools ... to fight differently against pollution from masks that are too often found on our sidewalks, forests and parks.
The opportunity also to give them a second life.
It was the Plaxtil company, based in Châtellerault (Vienne) which had the idea after the 1st confinement to transform these masks.
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Once collected, the masks are sent to the Châtellerault plant, which then begins a decontamination process.
"The masks are first placed in quarantine for seven days," explains Olivier Civil, the co-founder of Plaxtil.
The following phase takes place in our factory: we remove the metal bars if there are any, the masks are then crushed and then disinfected by ultraviolet radiation ”.
From these tiny confetti will be born new objects such as mask fasteners, headbands for visors and even small school materials.
The city of Meudon has also asked Plaxtil to produce rules, squares and protractors which will be distributed to schoolchildren from Meudon at the start of the next school year.
“The mask is a tool of protection.
We will prevent it from becoming a tool for the destruction of nature.
On the contrary, we are going to turn it into a production tool ”, welcomes the UDI mayor of Meudon, Denis Larghero.