Photo credits : Rivington
On 16 November 2022, Cyclevia was invited to take part in the 8th Circular Economy Morning organised by the Maison de la Chimie in Paris on ‘the work of EPR schemes at a local level, their initiatives and results”. On this occasion André ZAFFIRO was able to highlight the essential role that local authorities and the overseas territories play in rolling out the producer responsibility organization’s initiatives and in achieving its objectives.
Thanks to a historically well-organised industry, more than 215,000 tonnes of waste oils are collected every year in France, mainly from professionals. Local authorities, already involved through their municipal recycling facility networks play an essential part in recovering this waste from private individuals and “small businesses”. Although quantities are low (around 9%), they’re crucial and of concern in regard to their polluting potential. To encourage their work and help the sector to “recover every last drop of oil”, since the beginning of the year, CYCLEVIA enables local authorities to benefit from free waste oil collection.
The producer responsibility organization also manages their self-deposit collection points and participates in their communications by providing turnkey tools encouraging awareness-raising and best practice.
French overseas territories, key territories
For CYCLEVIA the overseas territories hold a central place, accentuated by local conditions which are often of concern. Paralysed by poor maritime transport and the lack of local collection solutions - increasing the risks of illegal dumping, pollution and accidents - CYCLEVIA has taken action to overcome this shortfall by providing tailored solutions: on Reunion Island and Mayotte, by participating in the shipment of 680 tonnes of waste oil to the French mainland; by setting up secure collection points and mobile municipal recycling facilities in Mayotte. Whilst the producer responsibility organization is trying to get these islands back on course and reach an acceptable collection rate, it is also looking to develop and encourage local treatment processes that are more beneficial for the environment and for the economic vitality of these territories.
There's more than one solution
Loyal to its circular economy principle, CYCLEVIA is aiming to send waste oils to regeneration units in order to transform today’s waste oils into tomorrow’s new oils. In 2024 the producer responsibility organization will launch a call for project proposals with the aim of setting up an operational unit in France capable of producing high quality regenerated base oils. However there’s more than one solution. We will keep an open mind and all solutions will be considered. For example, energy recovery, which is often taboo, will not be excluded from the solutions that CYCLEVIA may provide locally and on a case-by-case basis.
Local authorities, essential allies
Even if the near-unanimous support of the sector’s stakeholders ensured a good start for the producer responsibility organization, the adhesion of local authorities and elected representatives is just as important in order to inform the population of best practices in dealing with hazardous waste and deploy the necessary actions for an environmentally and socially responsible sector. CYCLEVIA has initiated discussions with territorial representatives in order to invent methods and solutions that will move waste oil collection and regeneration forward.
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