With the introduction of the first recycling kiosk, Carrfour is breaking new ground by fusing the principles of the circular economy with the requirement to safeguard people’s purchasing power.

With the introduction of the first recycling kiosk, Carrfour is breaking new ground by fusing the principles of the circular economy with the requirement to safeguard people’s purchasing power.

Carrefour is innovating in response to the dual challenge of preserving the environment and the buying power of its customers. It recently introduced recycling kiosks in France. Customers can visit and drop off products they usually don’t recycle in exchange for a purchase voucher worth up to €15.
This is a first for Europe and was introduced in partnership with TerraCycle and five industry leaders: BIC, DIM, Hasbro, Philips, and Tefal. This programme is for items that aren’t typically recycled and can’t be placed in the recycling receptacle. Carrefour is using it to enhance the recycling of used goods while also contributing to the increased buying power of its customers.

recycling to increase buying power

To take things a step further, Carrefour has today added recycling booths to its retail locations. Customers can use them to recycle six main types of used goods that, up until now, have not been frequently recycled because they cannot be placed in recycling bins:

containers of toothpaste and toothbrushes
damaged toys plates and casserole dishes razors and blades writing tools tights, mid-length stockings, and synthetic fibre socks

Customers receive purchase vouchers worth between €0.50 and €15 when they recycle such things in this manner. These are given by the project’s various partners regardless of the state or brand of the product in issue. (a customer can drop off a product of any brand, provided it is for the right category). Products under the partner brands may be purchased using these coupons. These include Tefal pans and casserole plates, BIC pens, DIM tights, Hasbro toys, Philips razors and toothbrushes and DIM tights.

These recycling kiosks have been installed by Carrefour in the parking lots of six of its sites across the nation: Athis-Mons, Angoulins, Evreux, Laval, Nice-Lingostière, and Vaulx-en-Velin.

solutions for recycling products that are infrequently recycled

Due to the lack of local management routes for these six product categories, the majority of them would typically end up being burned or dumped in landfills. For instance, 60% of all old pans are routinely thrown out with other household garbage. According to studies, 95% of French citizens want the nation’s economic stakeholders to take a more active position in recycling. Carrefour, TerraCycle, BIC, DIM, Hasbro, Philips, and Tefal are offering an original, cutting-edge solution for these products through this exceptional multi-brand effort, contrary to popular belief.

All of these waste products are then managed by TerraCycle, an innovative player dedicated to tackling waste, which has created recycling solutions for garbage that is thought of as being “difficult to recycle,” once they have been dropped off at the kiosks. The business is in charge of collecting the refuse from its material recovery facility in northern France and turning it into recycled material. Partner companies will pay for the handling and recycling of all of these goods, regardless of where the manufacturer is from. For instance:

TerraCycle will crush, wash, and transform tights, hosiery, writing instruments, razors, and toothbrushes into agglomerate or granules. Manufacturers can then melt these granules down and shape them into new recycled products like chairs, flowerpots, and building materials.
TerraCycle will gather pans and casserole dishes, and Tefal will handle their recycling in collaboration with Excoffier. Before separating the primary components—aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, etc.—so they can be recycled, Excoffier will separate and crush them.
A computerised interaction that makes recycling simpler

Customers only need to access the Recycle+Save web app by scanning the QR code of their kiosk or by clicking this link to enter the products they have dropped off at the terminal when they pass through the recycling kiosk in order to use their purchase vouchers. a fully computerised process that encourages recycling among clients and makes things simpler for everyone.

We are able to provide customers with a straightforward, nearby solution as a result of the recycling facility put up in Carrefour store parking lots. This will make recycling simpler for them and reward them with a voucher for a buy. According to Carine Kraus, Executive Director of Engagement for the Carrefour Group, it is critical to show that we can preserve both the environment and people’s buying power in light of the high levels of inflation we are currently facing.
We are honoured to be a part of this special alliance that unites industry leaders like Carrefour, BIC, Hasbro, Philips, Tefal, and DIM and makes it simpler for everyone to discard a variety of used goods that are typically thought to be challenging to recycle. According to Julien Tremblin, CEO of TerraCycle Europe, this is a practical solution that is simple to reach at common places for people who want to recycle more.

GSN