Benjamin de Molliens is a committed amateur athlete aware of the challenges of sustainable development. For the past few months, he has been telling the story on Instagram of each zero expedition. A real breath of particularly inspiring optimism.
Tout started in May 2020 after the first confinement, when Benjamin of Molliens had the idea to join his girlfriend using her old bicycle repaired with second hand parts. A journey of 600 kilometers between Brittany and Normandy, from Larmor-Plage to Dieppe. Throughout the six days of effort and carbon neutral travel, Ben did not throw any waste. The project Zero Shipping, without carbon emissions, without new equipment and without waste, was born.
“After almost 600km of pedaling, crossing the finish line at 13pm today in Dieppe. Sweat, some pain but above all a lot of happiness between Brittany and Normandy. "
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Driven by the success of its first zero shipping, and aware of the positive impact of this expedition on his community, Benjamin launched two new challenges. A crossing of the Alps on foot, and the descent of the Canal du midi in paddle!
Crossing the Alps
To his second zero expedition, Ben simply realized the great crossing of the Alps on foot, from Saint-Gingolph to Menton, nearly 600 kilometers and 45 meters of elevation gain to be covered on the legendary GR000 and GR5, in less than a month. As always, the green athlete favored the use of repaired, second-hand, bartered or loaned equipment.
“For this Zero Expedition, I was already well equipped because I have been hiking for a long time. I traded in a sleeping bag anyway, bought a second-hand T-shirt and trekking poles. I got down to sewing, certainly laboriously, and I got a camping gas survivor of the crossing of the Pyrenees of Padre. "
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Difficult to follow the second golden rule of a zero shipping during such a long trek. Benjamin however succeeded thanks to his unfailing motivation, and its small fabric bags perfect for containing vegetables, dried fruits, cheese and even hygiene products.
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The canal du midi in paddle
The third zero expedition has been placed under the sign of zero waste. After purchasing a second-hand paddle from an association, Ben set off from Toulouse in the direction of Sète, with second-hand equipment, bulk provisions and still his great enthusiasm. He walked the 252 kilometers of canal and 63 locks, in 10 nights of bivouac. And as if the challenge of zero impact, zero waste, zero new equipment was not enough, the athlete picked up the floating waste that he encountered. In total, he filled and emptied his garbage bin about twenty times!
“Packaging has invaded our daily lives… Made of plastic, paper, cardboard, aluminum, glass or even steel, they allow us to transport, protect and above all preserve our food, cleaning and hygiene products. Unfortunately their usage time is very short while their impact on the environment is very long ... Their recycling is complicated, unprofitable and imperfect. They often end up buried, incinerated or worse, in nature. "
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A good example to follow ! Benjamin was also emulated during the second confinement by launching the #CleanTonKm. On Instagram, more than 1200 people posted a photo under this hashtag. The opportunity to demonstrate once again that change begins with you ...
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