“It’s a gesture for the planet”: Valoris celebrates 25 years of serving reuse in Auch

Bérangère Chambon, Valoris celebrates its 25th anniversary on Friday. You have been the president of Valoris since 2010, but you have known the entire history of the structure.

There were only 4 or 5 of us at the start. For my part, I was invested in associations and the defense of the environment. A Gers association followed the first departmental waste plan, the ancestor of Trigone. On the other side, Nelly Lecussan led the local Mission. We met around the collection of healthcare waste from the liberal sector. Ademe launched a call for projects, and our informal group responded. And we were accepted! It was the creation of Valoris.

How do we move from door-to-door collection to large resource centers?

The resource center was created in 2007. Then in 2010, we set up the first integration project, approved by the State. This is where Nelly handed over to me. The healthcare waste activity ended on the same date to focus on the development of the resource center. It was the first in the Gers, and even the elected officials, at that moment, were wondering what it meant!

“It’s a good thing that reuse is becoming a reflex for consumers”

How has the activity of resource centers evolved?

We have become players in the recycling movement that is sweeping the entire economy today. Our essential functions remain the same: collection, recovery, solidarity redistribution, awareness raising. The big change is the transition from the private field to the professional field. Laws and obligations have created channels. Before, we only took into account cardboard, glass, textiles… Today, domestic or professional furniture, electronic waste, toys, etc. everything is affected. And we are here to optimize reuse.

Consumers have also changed their outlook on resource centers.

Before, we mainly had precarious audiences. But today, we have requests from professionals, schools, communities. For example, we picked up professional equipment from Total in Pau, and it all went away very quickly!

Has “second hand” become trendy?

There is that, but it has an impact: we observe a drop in the quality of the contributions. People sell on specialized sites, it’s a financial contribution. But large brands, such as Ikea, Gémo, or supermarkets, have also set up networks to resell these resources. It’s a good thing that reuse is becoming a reflex for consumers: it’s a gesture for the planet, especially for textiles.

You are holding your general meeting this Friday morning. What are Valoris’ projects?

Find a single site! This would give everyone a clearer view of the work of others, it would create a link. And the current rents are very high. And then, start finding a new president!