A French person produces on average 525 kg of household waste each year. A figure which, although it tends to decrease, nevertheless remains well above government ambitions. Because the French are reluctant to sort, because they are reluctant to compost or because they are too lazy to buy in bulk when all they have to do is slip a ready-made box into their cart. In Roubaix (North), to sell zero waste to its residents, the city has not only focused on the eco-friendly side of the approach but also on its potential economic benefit. An initiative spotted by the French Federation of Things That Work, which is organizing its big evening of revelations of good ideas easily applicable by other municipalities, this Monday. As a result, some have become champions whose balance sheet amounts to thousands of euros saved from trash.
At 68, Andrée quickly understood that if zero waste was good for the planet, it was even better for her finances. With her husband, Guy, they took the plunge ten years ago. “We received a big slap when we realized that we were doing stupid things,” she assures us. Stupidity which essentially consisted of throwing away foodstuffs that were still edible. The soft carrot, the faded tomato… “I make soups with them now. » Instead of buying her vegetables, Andrée gleans them from the market or buys them in the summer “much cheaper” and freezes them for the winter.
“We no longer throw away food”
It’s also food that Liliane, 44, struggles the most with. It must be said that with eight children at home, the food budget cost her an arm and a leg before embarking on zero waste. “On the little ones' snacks alone, I save 300 euros per month by preparing them myself,” she assures. For meals, she buys in bulk, rationalizes, recycles leftovers… “We no longer throw away food,” she promises.
In addition to food, the two women also manage to cut back quite a bit on household expenses, particularly water. For this, they have their favorite object: the bucket. “I collect dishwater for the toilets and rainwater to wash the floors,” explains Andrée. The same goes for Liliane who, like Andrée, now only washes at the sink like her entire family. The trick reduced Andrée's water bill from 50 to 15 euros per month and Liliane's from 90 to 50 euros per month.
300 euros per month on A savings accounts
The two Roubaisiennes also have their personal things. Liliane makes her own soaps and detergent. Andrée tinkers with sponges by recycling 5 kg potato fillets. “A sponge lasts me eleven months,” she assures. And they are so efficient that I even get orders from them. »
Read our recycling file
Andrée and Liliane recognize that zero waste “is work”. They need a lot of discipline and energy, especially for the mother of a large family who must “constantly be behind the children”. But quite quickly, the constraint turns into a habit and the approach begins to pay off. “From the fourth year, I was able to put 50 euros per month aside whereas before I was in dire straits,” recalls Andrée. Today, she saves 300 euros each month in savings accounts, happy to “live well” and to be able to “help [ses] children “. Same performance for Liliane and her husband who can now offer outings and nice gifts to their eight children.
