Since our authority approval 18 months ago, we have been carrying out our mission throughout France with particular attention being paid to the French overseas territories. To meet our obligations and promote the collection of waste oils in these territories, we are initiating a first collection trial in Guadeloupe lasting for 6 months as from 16 October for private individuals in partnership with a company in the automotive sector in the French West Indies.
An area that is suitable for trials
In 2022 nearly 1,500 tonnes of waste oils were collected in Guadeloupe, i.e. 75% of the new oils placed onto the market. This very high percentage greatly exceeds the national average (35%), highlighting how well the scheme is organised in the islands and the engagement of its stakeholders. However, possible improvements were identified during the succession of visits and meetings that we organised here. It’s therefore here, in this “suitable’ area, that we decided to initiate a first waste oil collection trial, designed to be duplicated and adjusted in the near future to other territories and other circumstances.
6 new self-deposit collection points to boost the collection network.
As from 16 October 2023 and for a 6-month period we are providing 6 new waste oil collection banks in Guadeloupe. These collection banks have been specifically designed for this operation and have been installed in the car parks belonging to the Midas La Jaille, le Gosier, Sainte-Rose, Basse-Terre shops/workshops and the Norauto Jarry and Les Abymes shops/workshops. Access to these facilities is unrestricted and free of charge.
Even if the results for professional waste oil collection (garages, factories, etc.) are good, this can be vastly improved for private individuals: micro amounts - often only a few litres - whose distribution is scattered and that can potentially cause pollution. Under these conditions, the islands’ 14 waste municipal recycling facilities are essential but unfortunately prove to be insufficient. These new self-deposit collection points have therefore been added to the public system and provide a boost to the collection network to encourage the collection of those last few litres of waste oil in the islands. They should also contribute towards tackling the problem of unlawful dumping, which is harmful to both the environment and the health of Guadeloupe’s population.
A comprehensive trial.
If we hadn’t made the decision to collect and treat the containers deposited during oil collection operations too, the trial would not be complete. For CYCLEVIA, this was a logical choice and may seem to be an obvious one too to the eyes of consumers, who consider that the oil and the container that holds it as inseparable, but which, in legal terms is not the case. This is why we recently submitted a request to the public authorities to group together our (EPR) obligations by integrating content and container.
Throughout the trial, the oils and containers will be collected by an approved collection operator and then transported to secure sorting sites and transfer stations. This waste will be ultimately exported to the French mainland to be recycled and recovered as energy.
Two key stakeholders join forces.
CYCLEVIA, who carries out its mission nationwide, needed a local partner that had direct contact with private individuals holding waste oil, that was locally well established, was interested in the greater good and was attentive to environmental issues. It was therefore totally natural for us to join forces with Barbotteau, a historic stakeholder in the French West Indies automotive sector. The Group has a particularly attractive large retail network that is well known to the public and able to successfully carry out the trial. Following a feasibility study, 4 Midas sites and 2 Norauto sites were selected to open their doors to collection.
An operation for private individuals and “informal garages”.
Collection is designed for private individuals who carry out their own oil changes for their vehicles or equipment and who usually go to municipal recycling facilities or who are looking for a solution that is closer to where they live. It is also designed for those who have waste oil cans or damaged new oil cans at home - sometimes forgotten about in the garage - because there no solutions to dispose of them correctly.
However, through this operation CYCLEVIA also aims at reaching out to “informal garages”, hybrid holders of waste oils, void of a legal status, and who are simultaneously professionals and private individuals and who, if they don’t go to a municipal recycling facility, often improvise because of the lack of secure facilities or managed and free collection methods. This, of course, carries risks for the environment.
A new collection trial that can be duplicated and developed.
It is clear that our intention is to attempt a first “trial” by providing a new bespoke collection solution for this waste oil and for Guadeloupe. Depending on the results, the intention is also to learn, to duplicate and to adjust the operation for other overseas “départements” (French counties) or regions who have the same needs, such as Mayotte, where the absence of municipal recycling facilities should quickly be offset by offering alternative solutions.
Resources commensurate with the challenge.
Initiated and entirely funded by CYCLEVIA, this operation is the result of work integrating numerous private local stakeholders into its process - in the first instance the Barbotteau Group, as well as Midas and Norauto, SARP Caraïbes, Métallerie Antilles Conseils, SPI Antilles, Nuage Communication, C2D Consulting, and public stakeholders - the DREAL and ADEME in Guadeloupe.
A communication campaign accounting for nearly half of the trial’s overall investment is running throughout the operation. It delivers a simple and educational message on the risks, on best practice and on the sector’s circularity. The campaign’s tools: TV, WEB, radio ads, site, social networks, poster, flyer, PLV.