On 16 and 17 June, members of the BeMed Business Club gathered at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort for two days of collaboration and knowledge sharing. The workshop aimed to officially launch the new pilot project on industrial and commercial plastic packaging, continue the discussions on plastic footprint assessment, draw lessons from the retail pilot project and the hotel training course.
The first day focused on bringing members together, welcoming new participants, and exploring key challenges related to environmental assessments of plastics.
After an interactive networking session, participants had the opportunity to welcome and get to know new members of the Business Club, including representatives from La Rosée, Groupe Rocher, Palais des Thés and Groupe Jean Hénaff.
Participants then reviewed the outcomes of the first hotel working group, highlighting the achievements and lessons learned from the training course with testimonies from Poseidonia Beach Hotel in Cyprus and the Monte Carlo Bay in Monaco.
The afternoon marked the official launch of the new pilot project on industrial and commercial plastic packaging. Participants were introduced to the project’s objectives, methodology and roadmap, while sharing their ambitions and expectations for the project.
The day also featured scientific presentations and discussions on life-cycle assessments, the OneHealth approach, and on the toxicity of plastics. Participants had the opportunity to discover and test the “Particulate Plastic Footprint” methodology developed by Nathalie Gontard and Valérie Guillard, before concluding the day with a debate on how organisations can navigate the compromises involved in reducing their plastic foot print.
On the second day, participants continued working on the new pilot project on industrial and commercial plastic packaging through workshops dedicated to plastic mapping, prioritisation strategies and the identification of alternative solutions.
The workshop also provided an opportunity to officially close the retail pilot project conducted over the past two years at Carrefour Monaco. Through presentations and testimonials, participants explored the project’s results, key achievements and lessons learned that will help inform future initiatives.
To conclude the workshop, participants took part in a field visit of the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. As a participant in the first hotel training course, the hotel presented the concrete measures it has implemented to reduce single-use plastic items in rooms and in food service.
This ended two inspiring days dedicated to collective action to reduce plastic use and preserve the Mediterranean Sea from plastic pollution.
