Context
This project took inspiration from the Darwin ecosystem in Bordeaux. Darwin is an alternative place promoting environmental and social values. Les Détritivores is trying to valorize organic waste by composting directly on site. Restaurants might be encouraged to implement this revolutionary method as it would cut down transport costs and carbon emissions.
Project
They began by raising awareness of awareness among the restaurant clients and training kitchen staff.Today Les Détrivores provide communication material and support to help change behaviour to develop new waste sorting habits. They explain why and how to sort bio-waste.
After evaluating the volume of organic waste generated by the activity of the client, Les Détritivores provides collection bins. The frequency of the waste collection then depends on the restaurant. By weighing the collection bins, the restaurants knows how much bio-waste it recovers each week. These collections are carried out with the principle of "depositing an empty bin against a full bin". The bins are washed and disinfected at each rotation to ensure good hygiene, in accordance with regulations. Waste is transported to the nearest composting platform. Finally the compost produced is distributed for free to urban gardeners or urban agriculture associations. The compost can also be sold in local shops.
861 tons of biowaste collected since 2015 / 258 tons of CO2 avoided since 2015 / 10 jobs created since 2015
The social enterprise works in Bordeaux metropolis but has already begun to develop its activities in the city of Lyon. They want to develop it in all cities that need this type of service. Ultimately, the goal is to install composting platforms all over the Gironde department!
The Détritivores work with the actors of public catering (schools), private catering (in companies, restaurants), grocery stores, florists but also with events organizers. Today, 100 customers use their services.
The micro-composting platforms are located on vacant unoccupied spaces to reproduce in urban areas what can be done in rural areas. Nevertheless, the problem of land pressure on the territory limits the development of these sites. In Bordeaux there were 3 composting platforms in March 2019 and the aim is to reach a dozen platforms. Today they employ seven people with permanent contracts.
Project leaders
Three entrepreneurs from Bordeaux joined forces to create this social enterprise in July 2015 with the aim of offering a collection and recovery service for bio-waste for catering professionals in circular economy logic. One of the main objectives of the project is also to allow the integration of people who are socially excluded from society. All the jobs provided are directed to people who are socially excluded or disabled.
The Détritivores are supported by Bordeaux Métropole, the Department of Gironde, the city of Bordeaux, the region Nouvelle Aquitaine Aquitaine, Darwin, Actes, the European Union, the CCAH, etc.
The Little Extra
The label "Les Détritivores" can be displayed in restaurant windows and the association provides clients with data concerning the quantity of bio-waste collected as well as the quantity of CO2 emissions avoided, in order to include it in the CSR report of the different structures or to be able to value their approach to the general public.
To know more about the Détritivores, you can listen to Lucie on a podcast made by Kantine Magazine:
Written by Alice Deshons, LFC volunteer - Mars 2019.
Last modification : 15 Apr 2020.
Les Détritivores
Les Détritivores was created in July 2015 by locals who were already working in the logic of a green and circular economy. It is a social enterprise that provides a service to all urban producers of biowaste.