🏗️ What is a "ressourcerie"?
A "ressourcerie " is a place dedicated to the re-use of objects, where anything that could still be useful is collected, repaired, recycled and resold at low cost. Unlike waste disposal centers, its aim is toprevent objects from becoming waste by giving them a second life. Resourceries are key players in the circular and solidarity economy, offering alternatives to overconsumption while creating back-to-work jobs.
🔍 Genesis of ressourceries:
The concept was born in the 1990s in France, inspired by similar initiatives in Quebec and Scandinavia. The first ressourcerie was set up in Toulouse in 2000, with the support of ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique). Since then, the movement has gone from strength to strength, with over 500 structures in France today, playing a central role in reducing waste and supporting more responsible consumption.
Who are the players in France's ressourceries and recycleries?
ressourceries and recycleries are associations or structures with a social vocation that collect, repair and resell second-hand objects. Their mission? To extend the life of objects by preventing them from becoming waste.
📌 So me major national players:
- Emmaüs: The Emmaüs network manages several ressourceries and recycleries in France with a social integration mission.
- Le Réseau National des Ressourceries et Recycleries (RNRR): Federates more than 180 structures in France.
- La Belle Recyclerie (Paris): Solidarity store that gives new life to used objects with a creative approach.
- Ressourcerie du Spectacle (Île-de-France): Specializing in the reuse of stage sets and props.
💡 So me key figures:
In 2023, French ressourceries collected over 100,000 tons of objects, 70% of which were reused or recycled (source: RNRR, 2024).
🏠 What can you find in a ressourcerie?
Resourceries are not just collection points, they are also real solidarity stores where you can buy objects at low prices.
✅ O bjects you can find there:
- Furniture: chairs, tables, bookcases
- Household appliances: coffee machines, vacuum cleaners, lamps
- Games and toys: puzzles, cuddly toys, board games
- Sports equipment: bikes, scooters, hiking gear
- Textiles: clothes, curtains, tablecloths
- Books and vinyl: novels, comics, encyclopedias
- Tools and materials: drills, screwdrivers, wood, paint
⏳ When and how do they operate?
Resourceries operate all year round, offering repair workshops and circular economy awareness-raising.
📅 How do I get there?
- Solidarity stores are generally open from Tuesday to Saturday.
- Some ressourceries organize special sales during events such as European Waste Reduction Week (EWWR).
🎨 F **ocus on creative workshops:**many ressourceries offer DIY workshops to learn how to repair an object, make a piece of furniture out of pallets or customize clothes.
📍 Where can you find a ressourcerie in France?
🔹 In Île-de-France
Recyclerie Sportive - Paris 18th, Massy, Lyon (specialized in sports equipment)
La Petite Rockette - Paris 11th (solidarity store and repair workshops)
Emmaüs Défi - Paris 19th (furniture, household appliances, home furnishings, textiles)
Ressourcerie du Spectacle - Pantin (theater & film sets and props)
La Trockette - Paris (associative space and solidarity café around reuse)
🔹 In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Le Magasin de la Ressourcerie - Grenoble (textiles, furniture, toys, tableware)
La Ressourcerie des Biscottes - Lyon (recycled furniture & household appliances)
La ManuFabrik - Clermont-Ferrand (repair workshops and second-hand store)
🔹 In Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Atelier D'éco Solidaire - Bordeaux (upcycled design and furniture)
La Belle Déchette - La Rochelle (creative resourcerie and educational space)
Ressourcerie Léa Nature - Périgny (ecological & solidarity project by the Léa Nature company)
🔹 In Brittany
La P'tite Boutique - Rennes (solidarity-based reuse and DIY workshops)
Ressourcerie Ti Récup - Brest (building materials, furniture, decorative items)
La Bricothèque de Lorient (tools on loan & collaborative repair)
🔹 In Nord and Hauts-de-France
Ressourcerie Les Récoupettes - Lille (ethical fashion and decor, social integration) L'îlot Ressourcerie - Amiens (large store for textile reuse and revalorization) La Chiffo - Dunkerque (zero-waste textile association)
🔹 In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Ressourcerie La Courtoisie - Marseille (furniture, textiles and creative reuse)
La Réserve des Arts - Marseille (specialized for creative and entertainment professionals)
Recyclerie de la Rade - Toulon (furniture, household appliances, books, textiles)
🔹 In Occitania
Ressourcerie du Lévézou - Rodez (everyday objects and recycled building materials)
La Miraille - Toulouse (solidarity-based reuse workshop and vintage boutique)
La Cité de l'Objet Retrouvé - Montpellier (specialist in recycled bicycles, furniture and household appliances)
💡 To find a ressourcerie near you, consult the interactive map of the Réseau National des Ressourceries et Recycleries..
💡 Good to know : The official website of the Réseau National des Ressourceries et Recycleries offers an interactive map to find a recycling center near you.
🌍 Why adopt the ressourcerie as a mode of consumption?
Opting for ressourceries means adopting more responsible consumption by limiting waste and participating in a social and solidarity-based economy.
✅ Benefits:
-
Waste reduction: 40% of collected items are reused without transformation.
-
Circular economy: purchase at low prices to give objects a second life.
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Job creation: 80% of the structures are social integration associations.
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Support for local initiatives: each ressourcerie works with local authorities and businesses.
🔍 F ocus on the growth of resourceries in France
By 2024, France will have more than 500 ressourceries and recycleries. Growth boosted by :
- Local policies for solidarity-based reuse.
- Increased awareness of waste reduction.
- The development of online solidarity stores, such as Label Emmaüs.
A new phenomenon: online resourceries
A number of platforms enable you to buy second-hand items online:
♻️ Label Emmaüs
♻️ Back Market (for reconditioned household appliances and high-tech)
♻️ Recyclivre (second-hand books)
✅ What do we take away from this article?
🌿 Adopting ressourceries means choosing more sustainable consumption.
🏡 There are recycling centers all over France, in Paris, in the regions and online.
🔧 They offer workshops to repair and learn how to give objects a second life.
💼 They create jobs and support the solidarity economy.
📍 You can easily find a ressourcerie thanks to the Réseau National des Ressourceries.
📚 To find out more about this topic:
🎧 Podcast: Les recycleries, comment redonner une seconde vie aux objets, France Inter
📖 Book: Comment tout réparer (ou presque): Le guide pratique pour arrêter de jeter vos appareils dès qu'ils tombent en panne Paperback - Illustrated, March 3, 2021
📺 YouTube video: Reportage sur les ressourceries en France - Brut x Ademe
🌐 Website: Réseau National des Ressourceries et Recycleries
📰 Recent news to follow:
In 2024, the French government voted to step up support for recycleries with a 50 million euro envelope to encourage the reuse of everyday objects.
👥 Personality to watch:
Flore Berlingen, ex-director of Zero Waste France and author of"Recyclage: le grand enfumage", to understand the challenges of responsible consumption.
📢 Want to go further?
Discover our article on the 5 cities where it will be good to live in 2050...
