VIDEO. This vacuum boat collects waste from the Saint-Denis canal

Chloé Dailly, co-director of the association Au fil de l’eau, explains: “The Ancistrus boat has the capacity to collect floating macro-waste, whether plastic, textile or glass. It has a hydraulic suction system that sucks the waste into a basket under the boat. This basket can then be tipped into collection bins.” Fadhel Martini, also co-director, adds: “It’s a well-designed boat for a canal. It can go into quite a few gaps and vacuum up to 5 metres away.”

During their first interventions, the members of the association collected up to 300 kilos of waste per day. “Now that the canal is cleaner, we are around 60 to 80 kilos per day,” mentions Chloé Dailly. The quantity varies depending on weather conditions and the number of people on the banks. “Today the canal is particularly dirty downstream, because the weather was nice last night and there were a lot of people”she explains.

Beyond waste collection, the association pursues a professional integration objective. “On the boat, the crew members are employees in professional integration”, Fadhel Martini emphasizes. Chloé Dailly adds: “It’s a project that’s close to our hearts, because it combines the environment and professional integration.” The association also hopes to raise awareness among citizens about the problem of waste in waterways and contribute to the development of eco-citizen awareness.