Who has never wondered what to do with their old pans that are often lying around in the back of a cupboard? The Seb Group, born in Is-sur-Tille, wishes to provide a response to French households. The company, which manufactured 22 million pieces in 2022, intends, in fact, to recycle the materials from Tefal stoves and other brands, to reach 20 million units recovered by 2027 – including 2 million utensils have already been collected during one-off operations.
In a press release released on Wednesday January 15, Seb details the terms of his project which aims for “a world first”. The group has, first of all, filed three “technological innovation” patents dedicated to improving the sorting of materials, the food compatibility of recycled materials and the reduction of environmental impact. The pans will be collected according to “strict quality standards”, announces the document.
Partnerships with major brands such as Carrefour, Auchan and Leclerc have also been concluded to install drop-off points. Collection points will also be set up at recycling centers. The goal is to create a true “national collection network accessible to all”, thus placing the consumer at the heart of this important recycling process.
Ambition: 60% recycled materials
According to information provided by the Seb group, working with used aluminum means saving 90% of energy compared to virgin aluminum. And, according to AFP, the establishment of this new sector will result in the recovery of “5,000 tonnes of aluminum” within two years. With the aim of reaching 60% recycled materials in the brand's products and packaging by 2030.
-The group's general director Seb Stanislas de Gramont says he wants to “meet the growing expectations of consumers”. It would therefore seem that awareness of the need to act more responsibly has become widespread among consumers and producers alike, the group having been affected by the discovery of “eternal pollutants” in its utensils. Pollutants denounced by several scientific studies for their possibly harmful effects on the health of users.
Remilly factory
This is not the first time that Seb has displayed his ambitions regarding his corporate social responsibility policy. For the record, in June 2024, Seb had already decided to accelerate its reconditioning and recycling policy by announcing that the Is-sur-Tille production site would also be dedicated to recycling. But this Burgundian site would not be affected by the new stove sector and the Remilly factory in Haute-Savoie would keep control. The Côte-d'Orienne factory is reserved for the reconditioning of small household appliances, particularly from marketplace returns.
