In La Rochelle, a recycling center creates social ties at the foot of a building: “The goal is for everyone to feel at home”

She hid furniture and objects for years, dreaming that this project would eventually see the light of day. “I stored them in a room, in secret. Then I created a small free area for management employees. But I knew that this recycling would eventually happen,” smiles Pamela Harbonnier. Technical supervisor of the cleaning service of the Diagonales neighborhood authority, in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime), her work has long consisted of collecting bulky items from the housing of Immobilière Atlantic Aménagement, a social landlord. Today, she is responsible for Trésors recycles, a recycling plant installed on the ground floor of Lincoln, one of the largest buildings in Mireuil, a working-class district of La Rochelle.

Here now begins a second life for the bulky items recovered by the management. Donations from individuals are also collected. Furniture, clothing, toys, crockery, decorative objects… A multitude of choices are offered at low prices two afternoons a week, Tuesday and Thursday. Pamela Harbonnier has tastefully arranged different spaces, from the dressing room to the children’s bedroom, including a lounge area designed for chatting. “The goal is for everyone to feel at home. There is furniture that is not for sale, like this sofa that is there for people to sit down and take the time to chat. I like to tell where they come from and start the discussion,” she explains. And this 100 m2 space, inaugurated on November 29, is already a great success.

Repair workshops coming soon

This Tuesday, December 17, the place is always full. “There are a lot of people, it’s probably due to the excitement of the new thing,” supposes the manager. On the eve of the holidays, the toy aisle is particularly scrutinized for an “economical and ecological” Christmas gift. Local residents are present. “Above our heads, there are 196 housing units. It was eagerly awaited by the residents who come to spend time there, the proximity does a lot. This gives a bit of cheerfulness at the foot of the building. But there are also people from all walks of life and of all ages, it’s a very exciting start,” said Anne-Laure Ploquin, territorial director of Immobilière Atlantic Aménagement, a subsidiary of the 3F Group.

This social landlord co-constructed the recycling plant with the neighborhood authority, “although this project came out of Pamela’s head,” the director is keen to point out. “Recycled Treasures is not just a store, it is a space that embodies the circular economy, sharing and social bonds,” it is emphasized in a press release. In the first quarter of 2025, repair workshops will be offered to residents in a 50 m2 room also located on the ground floor of the Lincoln. “And subsequently, we also have a DIY library project,” assures Anne-Laure Ploquin.