Week 6: Closing the Loop

Week six of my Central LiA Project with MakeSense and MerTerre was the culmination of everything we had been building over the past month and a half. It was a week of final touches, important conversations, and meaningful goodbyes. Every moment felt intentional, from tightening the final report to delivering our pitch, and there was a shared sense among the team that we had created something lasting.

What went well?
Monday was dedicated to deep work on the final pitch and report. Having the space to focus allowed me to polish the deliverables so they were both visually clear and strategically aligned with MerTerre’s priorities. On Tuesday afternoon, I delivered the final pitch to Teo, walking through our recommendations and how they connected to both our fieldwork findings and our policy research. The feedback was encouraging, and it felt satisfying to see the different threads of the project come together in a way that made sense to the team.

Wednesday brought our final pitch to Les Jardins d’Haïti with Marion, followed by an afternoon goodbye party. The atmosphere was celebratory but also reflective, conversations naturally turned to how our work could be taken forward and adapted in the coming months. It was rewarding to hear from partners and collaborators who saw real value in what we had produced.

What could have been done differently?
If I could change one thing, I would have rehearsed the pitch a few more times with fresh eyes in the audience. While the content was strong, I think a couple of points could have been delivered with more clarity and emphasis. Extra practice rounds might have helped me identify where to slow down or elaborate.

What did I learn about myself when working with others?
This final week reaffirmed how much I value collaboration that builds toward a tangible result. I found myself balancing my technical contributions with a more facilitative role, ensuring everyone’s insights were incorporated into the final materials. It reminded me that I thrive in roles where I can merge detail-oriented work with opportunities to connect ideas across the team.

What did I learn about leadership?
Jade and Teo’s guidance in this last week showed me how important it is for leaders to both wrap up a project and set the stage for what comes next. They made sure our deliverables were not just complete, but positioned for use and adaptation after our departure. This forward-looking approach is something I want to carry into my own leadership style.

What do I want to develop or focus on next?
I want to keep developing my ability to present technical and policy-oriented content in a way that is both engaging and accessible. This project showed me that the most valuable work is only as impactful as the clarity with which it can be shared.

Updates on Deliverables
I finalized the organization of our field observations and formatted them for direct integration into Zéro Déchet Sauvage. This included clear categorization by waste type, location, and observed frequency, making it easier for MerTerre to track patterns over time. I also prepared simple guidelines for future contributors on how to collect and submit data in a way that maintains consistency.

I refined the comparative analysis of France’s framework alongside EU policy, Japan’s coordinated waste system, and Canada’s federal-provincial model. The final recommendations now point to specific legislative levers that could be strengthened, such as expanding EPR measures, standardizing litter reporting, and increasing enforcement capacity. I also included a brief summary of how outcomes from the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice and the ongoing plastics treaty negotiations in Geneva could inform MerTerre’s long-term advocacy.

Life in Marseille this week
The final week in Marseille was bittersweet. Even as I focused on wrapping up the work, I was more aware than ever of the city’s rhythms, the early morning quiet before the streets fill, the mid-day hum of cafés, the warm evenings along the waterfront. The goodbye party at Les Jardins d’Haïti was the perfect closing moment, surrounded by people who had become part of my daily life here.

Leaving Marseille felt less like leaving a place and more like stepping away from a community and a purpose that had become part of my routine. The project may have ended, but the connections and the lessons will stay with me.