The aquaculture industry can constitute an important source of waste in the environment. In atoll lagoons of French Polynesia, among the materials used by pearl farmers, shade-mesh collectors can release toxic substances and are responsible of microplastics production. With the aim of providing a less polluting alternative, we performed in situ tests comparing reusable plate collectors and shade-mesh collectors during 16 months. Plate collectors were significantly more efficient for spat collection, especially after the first 6 months of immersion (P < 0.0001). These results confirmed that this device can be a suitable and more sustainable alternative for the pearl industry.