Vivendi is committed to the fight against plastic pollution in the oceans and has become the main media partner of Plastic Odyssey. With 20 tons of plastic being dumped into the oceans every minute, Plastic Odyssey’s ship will sail along the coasts of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans for three years to promote local waste treatment initiatives, develop the recycling economy to create jobs, and raise awareness among local citizens.
Within the framework of this partnership, the Group’s business units are mobilizing their media power in support of Plastic Odyssey’s ambitions and are pursuing the mission according to their respective editorial lines. The Vivendi and Plastic Odyssey teams are working together to identify the most relevant content:
- Canal+ will produce a documentary for TV broadcast in the fall and will broadcast a web series on the digital media platforms Les Eclaireurs and Dailymotion;
- Some Prisma Media magazines, such as GEO, Ça M’intéresse and Capital, will produce print and digital content. National Geographic France has also long been committed to the issue of plastic pollution;
- The co-founders of the mission will be invited to appear on Envie d’Agir, a television show broadcast on C8 dedicated to social impact issues;
- CanalOlympia will host screening and discussion evenings in its African cinemas;
- Prevention messages will be spread within Gameloft’s gaming communities;
- Havas will provide its expertise to Plastic Odyssey; and
- More initiatives will be launched throughout the mission.
“Vivendi intends to play an active role in building a more sustainable and responsible world. Through the content we produce, we have a real influence and, therefore, a responsibility. The environment lies at the heart of this responsibility, and the environmental pillar of our CSR program, Creation for The Planet, focuses on fighting climate change and protecting the environment. The partnership with Plastic Odyssey is tangible confirmation of this strong commitment, and on behalf of Vivendi, I am delighted”, said Yannick Bolloré, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vivendi.
“Vivendi has placed support for environmental and social causes as well as the creation and distribution of responsible content at the heart of its CSR strategy, Creation for the Future. We are delighted to put the power of our media at the service of these major issues and help accelerate the impact of the Plastic Odyssey project, which is fighting for the future of the planet,” pointed out Caroline Le Masne de Chermont, Chief Legal, Compliance and Corporate Responsibility Officer of Vivendi.
This partnership with Plastic Odyssey is the pinnacle of an approach initiated several years ago by Vivendi to both limit its use of plastics and increase recycling. For example, the latest generation of set-top boxes used by Canal+ (the group’s primary user of plastic) is made with more than 95% recycled plastic, while the boxes themselves are now smaller, which has decreased their manufacturing carbon footprint by 40%. In addition, in France and Africa, processes have been set up for the collection, recycling and reconditioning of set-top boxes to reduce the need for new plastic materials.