Since last April, the Granvil’Meubles store (Normandy) has had a container dedicated to reuse, installed by Ecomaison for the benefit of the Emmaüs Granville association. We take a look at how this partnership works and its benefits, focusing on a new collection solution for furniture stores that preserves resources, with Delphine Pottier, director of Granvil’Meubles, and Sébastien Juin, manager of the Emmaüs site in Granville.
Why did you get involved in this project?
Delphine Pottier: “Many customers asked us about their old furniture. And I always thought it was a shame to throw away products that were still in good condition. It makes more sense to reuse them so that they can be used by people who need them. This mindset dates back to when my grandfather first opened our store. Aurélia Reungoat, Regional Development Manager for Western France at Ecomaison, explained the benefits of setting up a container dedicated to reuse and arranged a meeting with Sébastien Juin.”
Sébastien Juin:“We have a long-standing partnership with Ecomaison for the reuse and recycling of furniture. When Aurélia Reungoat suggested we collect products from furniture professionals, I naturally agreed. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of this partnership with Granvil'Meubles. Not only was our meeting very pleasant, but I also realized that we were going to collect very high-quality products."
How is the new system organized?
Delphine Pottier: "Ecomaison has installed a watertight, clean and secure container, with a padlock that's impossible to break. At each sale, we systematically offer to collect old furniture when we deliver it, and then place it in the container. Mostly sofas, but also living-room furniture, tables, chairs, TV sets, wardrobes, beds and clean bedding. As soon as the container is three-quarters full, we call Emmaus Granville and I make the declaration online on Ecomaison."
Sébastien Juin: “We strive to be very responsive in collecting products that we can reuse, with the rest being sent directly to the Granvil’Meubles recycling bin. From the outset, I saw that our partners were very knowledgeable about second-hand goods. They know how to recognize what could be sold directly or after a minor repair. An Emmaus companion and a volunteer identify the furniture and then put it back in the store. We operate on a just-in-time basis.”
What do you see as the benefits of this collection solution?
Delphine Pottier: "Our customers are encouraged to donate their old furniture because they know it will be given a second life by an association. And partnering with a local player offers more outlets for these products than if we took care of them on our own. It really is an easy, practical and rewarding solution."
Sébastien Juin: “The partnership proposed by Ecomaison allows us to meet local stakeholders, stock our store, and fuel our solidarity-based economic model. What’s more, it’s a virtuous system in environmental terms. I’d also like to add that I really appreciate Ecomaison’s responsiveness and the simple, direct relationship we have with this eco-organization.”
"Our two partners naturally discussed the possibility of installing the container, sorting reusable furniture and organizing collections. The meeting between the Granvil'Meubles store and Emmaüs Granville made it possible to refine the conditions for a successful partnership and confirm their joint commitment. ... In less than 2 months, the association has already saved almost a ton of furniture! We're proud to be working with a store so committed to the circular economy and to promoting second life in a spirit of solidarity. This partnership between a retailer and a player in the field of solidarity-based reuse is a model of success for the scheme we are rolling out nationwide..."
Aurélia Reungoat, Regional Development Manager, Grand-Ouest, Ecomaison
Did you know?
From January1, 2022, distributors of furniture and bedding must organize the return of their customers' used products free of charge, and inform them of these arrangements before purchase.
The furniture industry in figures
-
- 9 590
membership contracts to end 2024
-
- 2,6
- millions
tons of furniture placed on the market
-
- 10 110
collection points accessible to households
-
- 1,5
- million
tons of furniture collected
-
- 97
- %
recovery ( reuse, recycling, energy recovery)
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