The incident that upset the entire region of Picardie in France happened in the city of Laigneville.
A man was enjoying a walk in the forest on a path he usually doesn’t take, just to get some fresh air and enjoy some nature, when he saw a truck pass by. Instinctively, he sensed something was wrong: who would want to go on such an adventure on this rough road, tucked away in the middle of the forest? The truck stopped. The man heard a deafening noise and approached, feeling quite curious about the whole thing. He stopped, mouth wide open, when he discovered what the truck was unloading.
The truck proceeded to pour out mountains of trash on the green moss! The company responsible for wreaking such havoc probably thought it was well out of sight. The man couldn’t believe it and decided to contact the city council.
For mayor Christophe Dietrich, this incident was the final straw. Every time this happened, the complaints got shelved, no action was taken and the companies continued to destroy nature. He decided to take matters upon himself and resorted to drastic measures.
In order to teach the polluters a lesson, Christophe Dietrich decided to apply the principle of «return to sender.» The trash was simply given back to the people who dumped it in the first place.
Watch how he handles the situation on the video. As you can see, the waste is well hidden in the depths of the forest. It’s difficult to reach the site and is only accessible by a damaged road. But that’s not enough to discourage the determined mayor!
RETOUR À L'EnvoyeurCe matin nous avons effectué un retour à l'envoyeur d'un camion de déchets qui ont été abandonnés près d'une forêt de la ville.
Posted by Bien Vivre à Laigneville on Freitag, 22. Juli 2016
In any case, this method has obviously proven to be an inspiration. «You can’t imagine the number of elected officials in France but also overseas, who call me wanting to do the same thing. I don’t do anything illegal, I simply return belongings to their rightful owners,» he said.
Of course, some people are annoyed. But sometimes it’s useful to put people’s waste right at their doorstep in order for them to realize the impact it is having.
And apparently, it works: «Thanks to the methods we have set up, we have been able to reduce 90% of this kind of waste.»
Unfortunately, a lot of companies keep polluting with impunity, the legal actions being ineffective. «The complaints lodged with factual evidence just get shelved by the justice system,” explains Dietrich. After all, who would dare to take on a giant able to afford the best lawyers? The mayor’s solution is, in any case, the last resort.
A «radical» but effective method to fight against a major issue too often pushed aside: ecological disaster. If drastic measures aren’t quickly taken, that is certainly where we are heading.
Well done Mr. Mayor for your boldness!
