Ecomaison promotes solidarity-based furniture re-use by helping manufacturers and distributors to find re-use solutions for their products in good condition. Most recently, the Fermob furniture group donated over 600 tables from its Vlaemynck brand to AIMA (Allons Imaginer un Monde d'Amitiés), a social economy association in the South-West of France.
Challenge met! 600 tables have been given a new lease of life.
The AIMA association welcomed its first tables on February 20, 2025. It all began in 2024 with a donation from furniture manufacturer Fermob. The offer was substantial: over 600 new tables from various end-of-series production runs, the equivalent in volume of several semi-trailers. Ecomaison worked alongside Fermob to identify a partner able to receive and store the tables, before offering them for re-use.
The eco-organization put Fermob, a group based in Ain, in contact with the AIMA association, which manages several recycling centers specializing in professional furniture in Béarn and the Basque Country, and supported the discussions to organize the practical implementation of the donation.
This initiative is a perfect illustration of the importance of furniture reuse as part of a circular approach.
"The sustainability of our products and circularity are at the heart of our approach, through Ecomaison, the furniture industry is extremely well structured on these subjects and we knew we could count on their expertise to find the right partner. We're all the more delighted with this collaboration as we share the same values as AIMA."
Raphaèle Lhomel, CSR Manager, Fermob Group
Packaging and palletizing of the platforms, feet and screws, preparation of technical data sheets, instructions, listings and inventories: after several months of preparation on the Fermob side, the first double semi-trailer was delivered to the AIMA hangar in Osserain Rivareyte (64).
The shipment—32 pallets—was received by the association's team of recyclers, who will now assemble the tables before installing them for sale. This circularity-focused operation is a win-win situation for everyone: the manufacturer, who was able to find a market for their end-of-line items, and the AIMA association, which gained access to a large quantity of quality furniture to recycle in a responsible manner.
“This large batch of high-quality outdoor tables will find a second life with hundreds of individuals, businesses, and local authorities who have reuse obligations. A big thank you to Ecomaison and FERMOB for this wonderful operation of solidarity reuse and circular economy. ”
Sigrid Dumaz, president of the association Let's Imagine a World of Friendships.
“Among professionals, a vast pool of second-hand furniture is waiting to be repurposed. We direct it to the 650 social and solidarity economy organizations with which we are partners. For our members who put the items on the market, we facilitate collaboration with these solidarity organizations.”
Paul Chavassieu, Northeast Regional Development Manager, Ecomaison
And you? Do you have unsold items, display items, end-of-stock items, product returns/after-sales service items, new or used, in good condition to promote?
On the side of the law
The Anti-Waste Law for a Circular Economy (AGEC) prohibits the destruction of unsold new products. Manufacturers and distributors must therefore prioritize their distribution to nonprofits fighting poverty and social and solidarity economy organizations. The law's objective is threefold: to reduce waste, promote donations, and increase community-based reuse. By helping to build relationships between manufacturers and retailers who must dispose of their unsold items, on the one hand, and community-based organizations seeking quality items to offer their customers, on the other, Ecomaison makes it easier for those placing products on the market to comply with this law.