LThe French have expressed at the polls their desire for a change in the way they govern. Regardless of their colour or ambition, the next executive will be required to implement policies of general interest with broad consensus. A pious wish for some, given the many subjects of discord. However, there is a policy capable of reconciling economic sovereignty, reindustrialisation, job creation, preservation of purchasing power and climate emergency: the circular economy.
Far from being a secondary subject, the circular economy consists of the prolonged use of materials and products, through eco-design, repair, reuse and, when this is no longer possible, recycling. A fully circular economy would reduce the country’s carbon footprint by 45%, reduce our dependence on imports of strategic products and raw materials (and therefore reduce our trade balance deficit), while creating factories and jobs in France.
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Currently, 600,000 jobs have already been generated thanks to it, in sectors where the alternative offered by new polluting products is often manufactured on the other side of the world. By generalizing the circular economy, 500,000 additional jobs could be created.
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And for once, France and its companies have a strategic lead and pioneering know-how in this field (as in car repair and smartphone reconditioning), notably thanks to the historical contribution of crafts and the social and solidarity economy (SSE), embodied today by start-ups, SMEs, industrial flagships, associations and communities. The icing on the cake: extending the lifespan of products, having them repaired or buying reused products rather than new ones also allows the French to make major savings.
Encouraging prospects, but much remains to be done
For example, reconditioned products are on average 30 to 40% cheaper than new products, and having your products repaired allows for an average saving of 70% compared to buying new. But, clearly, the subject is not political and divisive enough to break into the public debate. However, at a time when different political sensibilities must come to terms with each other, the circular economy is a godsend!
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Laws relating to the circular economy have often been voted unanimously by the political forces present. And we understand why. It is an effective and concrete response to the major concerns of the French: purchasing power, local jobs, economic sovereignty, the environment. Despite these encouraging prospects, everything remains to be done. To generalize these practices, we, entrepreneurs, industrialists, companies and associations of the circular economy from all sectors, need, like other strategic sectors in transition (rail, automobile, food, etc.), a national strategy to become competitive and move to the next level.
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