Category: Industrial and territorial ecology

La Fumainerie

La fumainerie Industrial and territorial ecology Recycling   FRANCE Web: https://www.lafumainerie.com/ Contact: lafumainerie@zaclys.net Localisation: Mérignac (33) Sector: Recycling Date of creation: 2019 Date of meeting : 22/04/2021 Maturity of the project: experimentation A citizens’ association that accompanies urban territories in the transition of their food-excretion system Overview History of the project La Fumainerie [1] is an association under the law of 1901 founded in February 2019, located in Bordeaux. The association has given itself 2 years to carry out an experiment which aims to show that it is possible to re-circulate our excretory feeding system. The aim of this circularisation is to valorise the nutrients present in our excreta and to participate in the effort to preserve our water resources. The objectives of the experiment are to highlight the benefits of a more circular and ecological sanitation system and to measure the level of social accessibility of a profound change in our sanitation methods. Ecological sanitation is a circular excreta management process. It takes into account : conditioning, which corresponds to the storage of the material in a closed space. sanitation, i.e. the hygienisation of the material. There are soft methods (e.g. composting) and active methods (e.g. pyrolysis). Whatever process is chosen, the safety of people and the environment must be promoted above all. recovery and recycling of materials. We must favour a return to the soil of the materials.   The association sets up dry toilets in private homes (separation of urine and faeces at the source), collects urine and then seeks or develops adapted urine and faecal matter recovery channels in partnership with local public and private players. The ultimate goal is not the generalisation of a single solution, but rather a collective awareness and deployment of material extraction solutions and management systems that adapt to needs. Key numbers 30 urine collection sites since September 2021 28 sites in private homes 3 sites in places open to the public (a co-working wood, a third place and an association of animation and artistic diffusion) a total of 86 co-producers who use the toilets Pilars of circular economy Industrial and territorial ecology through the development of a local urine and faecal matter recovery system and cooperation between players (La Fumainerie, which works with Toopie to recover urine, Recup Bokashi Aquitaine for the co-composting of organic matter and with Un petit coin de paradis to design adapted separative toilets). Recycling by removing urine and faeces from the status of humanity’s ultimate waste. How the project works To listen to Ambre Diazabakana present the project, you can watch the video at the bottom of the article! 1. The composition of the association La Fumainerie is an association under the French law of 1901 which is composed as follows A collegiate management team of 6 people, including some co-producers of the network. They are citizens of the Bordeaux metropolis who wish to become actors and decision-makers in their sanitation 2 employees, including a coordinator and a network coordinator, supported by a civic service employee (present for 6 months in the association). They are all in charge of urine collection but also of the bokashi (pooling of human resources). The membership, numbering 99 in 2020. The association collects urine from 30 sites which represents about 86 people, 1097 kg of urine and 345 kg of faeces collected in April 2021 and 5200 litres of urine collected since September and 1700 kg of faeces collected since September. Les partenaires techniques de l’association sont : Un petit coin de Paradis a producer of dry toilets that has developed a model adapted to the activity of the Fumainerie. Recup Bokashi Aquitaine with whom the association shares human and material resources for the collection and composting of materials Toopi Organics, which recovers urine for use as biostimulants. An industrial composting platform (PENA Environnement). As the association is in an experimental phase, PENA Environnement has agreed to charge only for the collection of the bins (€60 per tonne for transport) and not for the cost of processing the material (between €90 and €100 per tonne). 2. Suitable collectors The first issue in excreta recovery is the method of collection. Source separation avoids contamination of urine (which contains very few pathogens) by faeces. Devices already exist on the market: dry male or female urinals and “separating” toilets: urine flows forward by gravity faeces and toilet paper are collected at the back in a suitable container. However, the collectors already on the market were not adapted to the urine collection method developed by La Fumainerie. Collection is carried out at home using electrically assisted cargo bikes. The containers were not suitable for this mode of transport. For urine, for example, the bins did not have a watertight closing system. La Fumainerie therefore worked in partnership with Une petit coin de Paradis to develop separate toilets adapted to their mode of collection. To combat bad odours, inputs are added to the various containers: lactic acid at the bottom of the urine containers to stabilise the urea. This stabilisation of urea prevents its degradation into ammonia, the molecule responsible for bad odours.. sawdust in the faeces tanks to allow faster drying, to cover the material to prevent the invasion of pests (flies) and therefore to avoid bad odours. 3. Installation issues The implementation of such an ecological sanitation system requires a rethinking of toilet design: the need for a well ventilated or at least air-conditioned space. Instead of putting the air-conditioning up, it makes sense to install the air-conditioning at the bottom of the room in order to draw the bad smells downwards. rethink the lighting system: overhead lighting makes the use of toilets by viewing materials unattractive. 4. Collection from co-producers Initially, the starting point for collections was Mérignac. However, this organisation wasted time, due to the time spent on the roads, and increased the risk of road accidents. La Fumainerie therefore set up neighbourhood houses with Recup Bokashi Aquitaine in the city centre of Bordeaux to optimise collections, supported by

Toopi Organics

Toopi Organics Sustainable supply Eco-design Industrial and territorial ecology Recycling   FRANCE Web : https://toopi-organics.com/ Contact: contact@toopi-organics.com Localisation: Loupiac-de-la-Réole (33) Sector: Recycling Date of creation: 2019 Date of meeting : 21/04/021 Maturity of the project : Mature Valorise human urine into products for agriculture and industry. Overview History of the project Toopi Organics was created in 2019 after a meeting between three entrepreneurs. Matthieu Préel, manager of the company « Un Petit coin de Paradis » was daily confronted with the problem of recycling human urine. Through his dry toilet rental business, he has to pay to dispose of the urine he has collected. Michael Roes, founder of a biological fertiliser company, and Pierre Huguier, a doctor in soil ecotoxicology, have therefore developed a microbiological process to recycle urine into products for agriculture and industry. The company is currently developing its first product and hopes to have it on the market in the first half of 2022. Key numbers 1L of urine = 1L of finished product Goal to collect 1% of the urine generated in France Pilars of circular economy Sustainable supply Eco-design by developing a low-tech system for urine recovery. Industrial and territorial ecology through the linking of different actors in the same territory. Upstream actors for the collection of urine and downstream actors for whom the products are intended. Recycling of urine and its use as an agricultural input. How the project works ? To listen to Benjamin present the project, you can watch the video at the bottom of the article! 1. Urine, from waste to resource? Urine is actually seen as a waste product. It is eliminated via toilets and then treated with all sewage in purification plants. However, this current model has its limits. It poses problems for the sustainable management of water resources. On average, a flush consumes 9 litres of drinking water, which represents 10,000 litres per year and per person, or 20% of our annual water consumption. When water is treated in wastewater treatment plants, ⅔ of the nitrogen is released into the air and ⅓ into the water. Only 5% of the nitrogen in sewage sludge is recycled, which means that most of the nitrogen ends up in the wastewater. It should be noted that all the nitrogen consumed by humans is excreted, which represents 5 kg of nitrogen per person in one year. Because of its high nitrogen content, sewage sludge is the cause of eutrophication. Urine is mainly composed of water and contains a triptych of minerals that are very interesting for agriculture: the NPK triptych. Urine contains a significant concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), which play an important role in soil fertilisation. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) 2. From collection to urine recovery Toopi Organics sees itself as the final player in the urine recovery chain. One of the challenges is to collect a significant quantity of high-quality urine. Urine collection is currently done locally and is set up with various partners: WCLoc, local partners: WCLoc, local authorities via the installation of dry urinals (male and female) in Langon and La Réole and medical analysis laboratories in Gironde. Other collection sites are being considered to recover large volumes: establishments open to the public (ERP), and toilets at motorway or construction site rest areas, for example. To ensure that the urine is of good quality, the Toopi Organics team adds lactic acid to the urine collection tanks. Lactic acid stabilises the urine and the degradation of urea into ammonia, a molecule that is responsible, among other things, for unpleasant odours. To ensure that the urine is of good quality, the collectors must carry out the following checks before shipping: pH test at different depths of the tank, colour test, etc. If all the conditions are correct 24 hours before shipping, the urine can be shipped. To ensure that the urine is of good quality, the collectors must carry out the following checks before shipping. If all the conditions are correct 24 hours before shipping, the urine can be shipped. Further tests are carried out on receipt of the product. If the urine is not of the expected quality, it is sent to a treatment plant for processing. The recovery of urine into biostimulant is done in a low-tech process. A bacterial strain of interest and a carbon source are inoculated into the urine, which is kept at 30 to 40°C. This low-tech process ultimately makes it possible to offer a product whose purchase cost is much lower than the current market price. Titre de va-et-vient test test  Sustainable developement approach Environemental benefits Urine reclamation has a number of advantages as it leaves the water treatment process. Firstly, the use of waterless urinals, which are necessary for urine recovery, enables a more sustainable management of water resources. In addition, taking urine out of the water cycle can solve the problem of its disposal in wastewater treatment plants. It is still complicated to treat urine properly, particularly because of its high nitrogen concentration, which is responsible for eutrophication. Finally, the urine recovery process is low-tech, consuming very little energy. Economical benefits The combination of the use of human urine and this low-tech process makes it possible to offer farmers a much cheaper product. Reproductibility and development perspectives Development perspectives Toopi Organics expects to have its first product on the market in the first half of 2022. The processing capacity of the current plant is 400,000 litres, the next one will have a capacity of 2 million litres. Toopi Organics aims to develop its model throughout the country with the installation of processing sites in areas with more than 1 million litres of collection. Harvesting will take place within a 200km radius of the plant to avoid transport costs and pollution. Toopi Organics wants to diversify its product range over the years. Back to the encyclopedia Newsletter CirculAgronomie Subscribe Facebook Youtube Linkedin Instagram Legal information Copyright CirculAgronomie 2020

Echo-Mer

Echo-Mer Industrial ans territorial ecology Recycling Extension of product lifespan   FRANCE Web: https://echo-mer.com/ Contact: echomer@wanadoo.fr Localisation: La Rochelle (17) Secteur: Material valorization Date of création: 2001 Date of meeting: 09/04/2021 Maturity of the project : Mature Association for the protection of the seas and the coastal environment. Overview Summary project During a transatlantic crossing, David Beaulieu, the founder of the association, receives the echo of the sea. Beyond words, he was keen to implement concrete actions for the protection of the sea and the environment. In July 2001, he founded the Echo-Mer association in La Rochelle. The first actions concern the recycling of used batteries in the port. Very quickly, the association became more generally interested in the activities of the nautical world. The actions of the association are based on two main axes: education and the revalorization of materials. The recycled materials are used sails, oyster bags, cork and neoprene. The association wishes to limit the impacts of pollution caused by Man on the marine ecosystem. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) Keys numbers Since January 2020, Echo-Mer has valued : 362 kg of oyster bags 1,745 t of corks 763 m² of boat sails 62 kg of neoprene Pilars of circular economy Industrial and territorial ecology through the mutualization of flows between actors. The valorization of the various materials allows to make work companies or associations of the region. Recycling by the chains of valorization set up by the association Project operation To listen to David Beaulieu present the project, you can watch the video at the bottom of the article! 1. Successful actions since 2001 2001: Collection of batteries in national ports, Operation Pontoon Before 2001, there was no place in the ports where used batteries could be collected. Collectors (old tennis ball boxes) were made available in the ports. First in the port of La Rochelle, then in the ports of Charente Maritime and now in all the ports of France. As an example, 500 kg of batteries are collected each year in the port of La Rochelle alone.   2002 – 2003: survey and awareness-raising among shipyards At that time, the management of toxic waste was poor or non-existent. We had to wait until 2008 for boaters and then 2015 for companies before we had adequate management of this waste. Every year, 50 tons of toxic waste are thrown away.   2004: “stop plastic bags” on the island of Ré This action aims at reducing waste at the source. The operation has allowed to divide by three the quantity of plastic bags on the island.   2008 : alternative management of pesticides Why is it essential to better manage pesticides? After being used in the fields, these substances infiltrate the soil where they join the watercourses that all converge in the same place: the sea. Echo Mer participates in a more reasoned management of pesticides through awareness-raising actions and conferences. In 2005, the association launched the operation ‘Pesticide no thanks’ and then set itself the objective of banning the use of pesticides along the quays of La Rochelle. After several months of struggle, the use of pesticides was finally banned on the edges of the quays. The vegetation has developed again and in particular the sea fennel, a halophilic plant with interesting properties.   2. The collection and recovery of materials Four materials are recovered and recycled by the association: used sails (2008), oyster bags (2010), cork (2012) and neoprene (2016).   A second life for boat sails: Boat sails are subject to many environmental constraints (wind, UV…) giving them a lifespan of 5 to 10 years. This period can be reduced to one year for regattas. Historically, sails were made of natural fibers such as linen or hemp. Over the years, new and more resistant materials have appeared such as polyamides, polyethylene or carbon fibers. These are synthetic materials and therefore not biodegradable. With such a short turnover, it seems important to give a second life to these materials that can still be used. This is the mission of Echo-Mer, which recovers used boat sails and advertising tarpaulins. These materials are then transformed into a wide range of products from simple accessories to canvas bags. These valuations are made in the prison workshop in Mont de Marsan (40) where eight workers are trained in professional sewing on machines. Each piece produced is unique. This valorization prevents the incineration or the burying of the used cloths and the advertising tarpaulins.   Revalorization of oyster bags: The bags used for the culture of oysters are manufactured on base of plastic. There are few channels of recovery of used oyster bags. They are incinerated or remain stored in the oyster basins. They then degrade and are sources of environmental and visual pollution. Echo-Mer works in partnership with Navicule Bleue, an ESAT (Etablissement de Service et d’Aide par le Travail) located in Arvert, to valorize the oyster bags. The latter are transformed into paper baskets, shopping baskets, mulch for gardens, etc.   Collection of corks: One of the uses of the neoprene baskets is to serve for the collection of corks in restaurants and waste disposal sites. More than 80% of the cork production is destined to the manufacture of wine bottle stoppers. At the end of their life, these corks are incinerated or buried. However, cork has thermal and phonic insulation properties. Echo-Mer set up the operation “Here, that corks” which is declined in three stages: the collection of corks from waste disposal centers, restaurants and individuals in Charente Maritime.the crushing of the corks is carried out by Ovive, a company located in Périgny.the creation of a local industry: cork shreds are used for thermal and phonic insulation of floors and ceilings. They are also used as filling for poufs and cushions made from used boat canvas. 3. Setting up of pedagogical workshops In order to be even more impactful, Echo-Mer organizes numerous awareness campaigns. These sensitizations are adapted to all ages.   Interventions in schools: The

Trivalis

Trivalis Recycling Industrial and territorial Ecology Responsible consumption   FRANCE Web: https://trivalis.fr/ Contact: contact@trivalis.fr Localisation: La Roche-sur-Yon (85) Sector: Waste management Date of création: 1993 Date of meeting: 02/04/2021 Maturity of the project: Achieved Trivalis is the mixed departmental union for the study and treatment of household and similar waste in the Vendée. Overview History of the project Trivalis [1] is the mixed syndicate of the department for the study and treatment of household and similar waste in the Vendée. This association was created in 1997 with the sole competence of “studies”. In 2003, after the transfer of the “treatment” competence from the local authorities, the association became operational. Trivalis coordinates and harmonizes the treatment of household and similar waste in the Vendée. Trivalis treats the 200 tons of daily waste produced by the residents of the Vendée. In fact, in 2020, just over 5000 tons of waste were treated. The treatment includes : transport operations from transfer centers and waste collection centres to the treatment and recovery sites the operation of public waste treatment facilities in the Vendée as well as studies for new facilities and their construction. the sale of recyclable materials to industry and the sale of compost to farmers. These treatment operations are part of a policy resulting from the Waste Prevention and Management Plan, for which the Pays-de-la-Loire Region has been responsible since the NOTRe law. There are about twenty departmental unions like Trivalis in France. The particularity of the Vendée union is that it is the owner of all its facilities. Key figures 795,466 inhabitants in the Vendée (DGF 2020: including tourists staying in the department, corresponding on average to 100,000 inhabitants/year) 6 720 km² of surface area 17 local authorities in charge of collection and members of Trivalis 450,000 pieces of waste treated in 2020 Pillars of the circular economy Industrial and territorial ecology through discussions on the most appropriate location of treatment facilities in the Vendée region in order to optimize flows and rationalize transport. All possible recycling channels are implemented. Responsible consumption through various awareness-raising actions on waste prevention and sorting: zero waste workshop, visits to the departmental sorting center and a TMB plant, support for the return of the glass deposit, communication campaign against packaging, etc. These different actions allow citizens to think about their consumption habits in order to reduce their waste. Recycling and recovery for the majority of household and similar waste in the Vendée. project operation To listen to Marie-T Terrée present the project, you can watch the video! 1. The role of Trivalis in the management of the waste of the people of the Vendée The Vendée territory is composed of 17 communities, represented on the map below. Community Mapping [Trivalis] The local authorities are in charge of collecting recyclable waste, household waste and managing the waste collection centers where they welcome their users. Thus, they are the ones who set : The method of collection The frequency of collection The levy of the tax or fee for the removal of household waste due by the users. All these communities work with Trivalis, of which they are members. Once the waste has been collected, Trivalis’ mission begins: to manage the waste according to its nature. The Vendée syndicate has about twenty infrastructures to manage the territory’s waste: 12 waste transfer centers A sorting center for packaging 4 storage sites for final waste2 sorting and composting plants for household waste 5 composting platforms 4 neighbourhood composting platforms Equipment mapping [Trivalis] 2. What is the incentive fee? The incentive fee [2] replaces the TEOM, the household waste collection tax. The TEOM is a local tax based on the rental value of the dwelling (levied in the property tax).  The incentive fee is the contribution that is requested from users to use public waste services. These services are the following: waste collection, operation of waste collection centers, treatment and development of new recycling channels. The fee is intended to be fairer since its cost is based on the actual production of household waste. It applies to all users and for the moment only concerns household waste. In the Vendée, a local authority is planning to charge for the presentation of the yellow bin in addition to the household waste bin. This is a first. The calculation of the fee is based on : a fixed part which includes the subscription to the service and a basic fee calculated on the basis of the number of times the bins have been lifted or the number of times the deposit points have been opened. a variable part which applies in case of more than the fixed part. The incentive fee has many advantages. It encourages everyone to sort their waste better, which in turn reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill. 3. Characterization of a Vendée garbage can In order to properly manage the waste produced in the region, it is necessary to know the composition of the waste generated. Thus, a characterization of the Vendée’s garbage cans makes it possible to anticipate the evolution of the management of this waste, which is correlated to the evolution of the lifestyle/consumption of the people of Vendée. The characterization of the garbage cans shows that bio-waste occupies an important place since it represents more than 40 % of the waste. This important part of bio-waste raises questions. Knowing that most of the houses are suburban, the implementation of individual composting is easily feasible. The proof, nearly 120 000 individual composters are present in the gardens. Composting in heaps exists, it is not counted. Collective composting also exists: 80 installations are in place in collective establishments. There are also some platforms in the department managed by volunteers. So how can we explain the 40% of fermentable waste still present in the Vendée’s garbage? 4. La gestion des déchets recyclables The recyclable waste managed by Trivalis represented more than 212,000 tons in 2020. The syndicate notes that the proportion of paper waste continues to

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EtNISI

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