The great cleaning day at the BAINS DES PAQUIS (right bank) started with heavy rain and with poor visibility but ended with sunshine. PATTY MOLL is organizing this annual Geneva Lake Clean-up around the « Bains des Pâquis » since 1992 as part of the PADI Beach Clean-up (World Cleaning Day).
The MIRACULOUS CATCH of waste has, unfortunately, been successful !
The purpose of the team was to pick-up a maximum of waste, to separate bottles from aluminium and other non-biodegradable garbage, to make a kind of a pre-sorting and put them in the containers provided by the cleansing department.
We have established some form of statistics, where we annotate the quantity and the nature of each of the collected heterogeneous items and at the end of the day, a PADI PROJECT AWARE reward certificate was handed out to the 30 participants (despite the rain) and some small gifts were given to the volunteers. The evening ended with the traditional « cheese-fondue » at the Bains des Pâquis.
For the year 2012 and the 20th anniversary of the Geneva Lake Clean-up, the 2012 cleaning event shall take place during the 3rd weekend of September. We need so-called « walkers », those volunteers who are collecting the waste deposited by the divers at the shore of the lake and divers, also security boats.
Each diver needs to be registered in advance.
Registration : info@aqua-diving.ch; or 079 606 25 06 from 01.00 pm
Some figures :
In 2003 : usual waste such as 10 tires, dishes, glassware, bicycles, wheels, 130 softdrink cans, bottles of wine, 3 boat batteries and some items « well decorated » with algae and crustaceans.
In 2004 : 9 tires, 109 softdrink cans, 135 glass bottles, 261 plastic bottles, binoculars, purses, cell phones, DVD-player and many more.
In 2005 : 303 plastic bottles, 417 softdrink cans, 227 glass bottles, 37 lighters, 486 cups/dishes/cutlery, 14 tires, 2 car batteries, bicycles, wheels, hubcaps, electrical motors, calculators, watches, bones (?), brushes, swimwaer, fire extinguishers, horns, ropes, dog leashes, 3 beach umbrellas, 8 wallets and much more.
In 2006 : usual waste such as 528 glass bottles, 2600 cigarette butts, 251 plastic bottles, 9 carts from a supermarket, 1 cart, 1 garden chair, 4 bicycles, 6 spray cans, 61 glass cups, 18 footballs etc
In 2007 : 21 bags, 189 plastic bottles, 340 glass bottles, 2 lids, 29 clothings and shoes, 41 cups/dishes/cutlery, 82 food packagings and containers, 1 big piece of wood, 1 six-pack of beer, 11 shellcases for firearm, 6 straws for softdrink cans, 12 toys, net, 83 plastic parts, 14 cables, 723 cigarette butts, 17 lighters, 2 cigares, 16 boxes of cigarettes, 1 battery, 1 car part, 5 tires, 18 plastic caps, 1 key, 5 spare parts, 1 handgun, 1 watch, 8 glasses, 1 rudder, 6 tennisballs, 1 BBQ, 1 amphora, 4 shopping : small batteries, 7 mobile phones, 2 flags, 3 bicycles, 1 roadsign, 1 umbrella, 9 horns, 1 statue of Buddah, 2 empty money boxes, 1 fence, 1 eyeglass case, 1 wooden beam = total 630 kgs 2107 waste-items
In 2008 : (still on the right side of the lake plus the jetty of « baby-beach » – very poor visibility and with more divers compared to 2007) : 451 plastic bottles, 152 glas bottles, 1 handfirearm, 1 meter, 1 sleeping bag, 10 clothings, 22 toys, 1 saw, 1451 cigarette butts, 11 lighters, 1 cart from supermarket, 9 credit cards/identity cards, small batteries, food packagings, lids, 1 camera, a heap of scrapmetal, benches, carpets, mobile phones, ashtrays, watches, purses, some items nicely decorated with algea and crustaceans.
In 2009 : 65 plastic bottles, 240 glass bottles, 316 softdrink cans, 30 clothings and shoes, 12 toys, 1145 cigarette butts, 3 road signs, 8 car batteries, 3 stools, 1 scooter, weight : approximately 600 kg.
In 2010 : 60 plastic bags, 90 plastic bottles, 450 glass bottles, 350 softdrink cans, 51 garments, 2000 cigarette butts, 30 lighters, 6 mobile phones, 15 cables, locks, chains, 30 cups/dishes/cutlery, 2 handbags, 1 cart from supermarket, 6 tires, jewelry, purses, weight : approximately 500 kg – 60 participants as well NetLeman.
In 2011 : 1350 cigarette butts, 3 bags full of clothings and shoes, 10 tires, 1 scooter, 2 bicycles, 1 hub cap, 1 padlock for bicycle, 2 plastic chairs, 3 flower pots, 1 warning triangle, 10 batteries, 3 mobile phones, 1 fence, 1 wooden case, 1 cuddly toy, 2 wallets, 6 credit cards, 1 keyring, 1 splint, 1 bone for dog, 1 horn, 190 plastic bottles, 250 plastic cups, 250 aluminium boxes (50 kg), 1 fork, 1 screwdriver, 1 trashbag full of wooden staff and scrap metal, 350 glass bottles (175 kg), 1 airport cart (35 kg), 1 iron box, 1 VCR, 2 parking signs (2hours only !), 1 iron grid, 1 metallic waste bin, tolal weight : 651 kg or 30 big waste bags !
WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR WARM THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS FOR THE HELP PROVIDED TO THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS GREAT DAY :
THE « BAINS DES PAQUIS », THE « LES GLACES NATIONALES LEBRUN », THE BAR « LA TERRASSE », « PHARMACIE GOUDA », « LES MOUETTES GENEVOISES », SWISS DIVESUPPLY, SCUBAPRO, PADI, « LA SEICHE », VOIRIE DE GENEVE, SCUBA DREAM, DAKINE, ELVIA, NICOLAS MOTORS, SHIPYARD EGN, LE PETIT FUTE, PENSEYRES SPORTS, LA VOIRIE « VILLE PROPRE » DE LA VILLE DE GENEVE, SHIP-SHOP, THE RESTAURANT « LE BORGIA », BEAUTY INSTITUTE EMMA TARRE, UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE for their boat, LE SAUVETAGE DE GENEVE, NETLEMAN for their organization AND OF COURSE TO ALL VOLUNTEERS AND THE DIVING CLUBS OF THE CERN, AQUA DIVING, EXOCET, & SCUBA-DREAM.
ALSO A GREAT THANK-YOU TO ALL VOLUNTEERS
FOR THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENEVA LAKE CLEANING PLEASE REGISTER WITH PATTY MOLL – info@aqua-diving.ch
or 079 606 25 06