Quick Summary
Your keywords point to a specific winning project from the 2025 Defender Awards (International). Pollusub, a project by the Blue Odyssey Initiative in France, was selected as a winner for its innovative underwater waste filtration system. As part of the award, they received a specially customized Land Rover Defender 130 to support their environmental operations.
1. The Context: Defender Awards 2025
Land Rover operates two major award programs. It is important to distinguish between them to understand where Pollusub fits in:
Defender Service Awards (North America): Focuses on charities in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico (e.g., Chilliwack Search & Rescue, Vancouver Aquarium).
Defender Awards (International): A global competition recognizing humanitarian and conservation projects across the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and others.
The Connection: Pollusub is a winner of the International Defender Awards, specifically recognized for environmental innovation.
2. The Project: Pollusub (France)
Pollusub is an environmental initiative led by the Blue Odyssey Initiative. It addresses a critical but often invisible problem: underwater waste accumulation in port areas.
The Problem: Ports act as accumulation points where waste sinks and settles on the ocean floor, often unseen and difficult to collect.
The Innovation: They developed an eco-friendly, discreet net system that acts as a "passive filter" at port entrances and exits. This system captures waste before it sinks or drifts into the open ocean.
Impact: The pilot projects aim to stop an estimated 5 tonnes of waste per month from entering the wider marine ecosystem.
3. The Role of the Land Rover Defender
As a winner of the award, the Pollusub team received a Land Rover Defender (specifically the 130 model) to act as a mobile command unit.
Logistics & Transport: The Defender is used to haul the heavy filtration nets and diving equipment needed to install and maintain the barriers.
Access: It allows the team to reach remote or difficult-to-access river systems and coastal areas to scout for new filtration sites.
Mobile Base: The vehicle serves as an operational hub for divers and researchers working on-site at various French ports.
4. Sustainability & Future Goals
This project represents a shift in "Sustainability Projects" from reactive cleaning to proactive filtration.
Scalability: The goal is to prove the efficacy of the Pollusub system in France and then replicate the model in ports internationally.
Circular Economy: The project also aims to raise awareness among port users, encouraging a reduction in waste dumping at the source.
Would you like to know more about the other international winners of the 2025 awards, or technical details on the Defender 130 configuration used by Pollusub?
This video demonstrates the Pollusub system in action, showing how the underwater net captures waste in port environments.
