Orane (high school student)
“I was born and raised here, the streets have always been like this. I have noticed that, for the past two years, there has been less trash in the streets and on the beaches. I feel like we are making more efforts than before to clean the city. I myself have already spent afternoons picking up trash on the beaches of Terres Basses with my best friend. It is not much, but I at least make sure to throw the trash in the trash cans to avoid adding more to the ground or in the sea. What shocks me the most is the number of glass bottles and cans that we find along the sidewalks after the holidays. It is important that everyone takes responsibility.”
Diane (founder of an organic cleaning company)
“We need to protect the planet. There is no control over the bad daily habits of consumers. For example, I see a lot of athletes who throw their plastic bottles into the countryside after their activity. I think we should set up targeted training on our way of consuming. We lack signs or information centers to explain to residents how and when garbage collection is organized. This would prevent them from leaving their waste anywhere and at any time. We are on a very touristy and busy island, so there is often a lack of attention on the part of visitors and locals. The population of Saint-Martin must do a lot of work on itself.”
Charlotte (hospital nurse)
“I am originally from Haute-Savoie. It is true that when I arrived here three years ago, I noticed a huge gap between the cleanliness of the streets in my native region and those of Marigot. In terms of wastewater disposal or management of waste from factories, I have the feeling that things are not changing much and especially not fast enough, despite the urgency. In Grand-Case as in Galisbay, the factories announce that they dump their waste and other chemical products into the sea, so we avoid swimming there. The omnipresence of sargassum on certain beaches is evidence of the state of the sea. It is directly linked to pollution, as we know. It creates nauseating odors and we can no longer swim peacefully. It is a real shame for such a beautiful region.”
Interview by LM
https://faxinfo.fr/en/micro-trottoir-que-pensez-vous-de-letat-des-rues-a-saint-martin/
