( AFP / ERIC PIERMONT )
“There is inflation, interest rates which are higher, there is the economic crisis in certain key sectors of industrial production and all the geopolitical news,” François Excoffier, president, explained to AFP. from Federec, this Thursday, October 10.
This is a consequence, in particular, of the slowdown in the economy. In 2023, the recycling industry in France experienced
a decline in its activity,
according to its federation this Thursday, October 10. The sector expects this trend to intensify for 2024.
Its turnover has
declined in 2023 by almost 5% to 11.03 billion euros,
according to an annual report published by the Federation of Recycling Companies (Federec). “There is inflation, interest rates which are higher, there is the economic crisis in certain key sectors of industrial production and all the geopolitical news,” François Excoffier, president, told AFP. from Federec, who also mentioned, for 2024
elections, “classic periods of economic slowdown”.
He specifies that the drop in volumes is more significant than that in turnover, supported by the rise in prices of certain raw materials such as copper.
Furthermore, this decline should be put into perspective, according to him, given a
record year in 2022,
the first above 10 billion euros. In total, some 39 million tonnes of raw materials from recycling were produced and sold in 2023 (metals, wood, paper and cardboard, glass, plastics, solvents, building waste, etc.).
The 2024 financial year promises to be “much more bloody”
Although overall collection has declined, the results are heterogeneous, with
declining sectors,
such as ferrous metals (-4%), paper and cardboard (-5%), bio-waste (-3.9%), while conversely, collection has increased for non-ferrous metals (+2.5%), textiles (+3%) and wood (+1%), in particular. Federec also notes
“the legislative and regulatory context”
which results in “a considerable increase” in administrative tasks for its members. In the viewfinder in particular, the
anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec),
which aims to reduce household waste and has notably introduced new
anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec),
he “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) sectors on the “polluter pays” principle.
Despite this poor economic situation, business investments increased by 12% to reach a record level of 734 million euros, according to Federec. As for the 2024 financial year, it promises to be
“much bloodier”,
according to François Excoffier. If, in 2023, the decline in activity in the sector has not
not affected employment,
which remained with some 34,500 people (a little less than 40,000 including temporary workers), “for 2024,
we see things in a much darker way”,
supports the president of Federec.
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