This is a national cooperation program at the heart of economic development, promoting synergies among businesses to improve regional resilience in terms of energy production, waste management and recycling, and the exploitation and utilization of local resources as substitutes for imported materials… It is the largest industrial and regional ecology program carried out in metropolitan France and the overseas territories. It is being implemented in Martinique by the DEAL with support from the INEC, The National Institute for the Circular Economy. We spoke with Denis Etienne, a project manager for the promotion of sustainable development at the Deal Martinique.
Denis Etienne: « »The CCIM has highlighted a need for a circular economy among manufacturers in Martinique."
Is this initiative part of a national program? Yes, this has been implemented in mainland France by INEC, using a specific methodology. There is a regional program for inter-company collaboration, which is based on the methodology of the national program. INEC addresses all aspects of the circular economy. They are providing support to the DEAL in Martinique, which is in charge of implementation. This approach was already implemented in Guadeloupe last year.
What exactly does that involve? We always follow the same methodology. We bring together between 30 and 40 preselected companies. We analyze these companies’ material flows, including imported raw materials as well as the waste they generate, recognizing that this waste can become a resource for others. The next step is to establish synergies in terms of materials, energy, and personnel, and to foster partnerships between companies that can help one another or reduce their production costs.
Are all of these companies in the same industries? Not necessarily—it could be retail, recycling, warehousing…
What are the criteria for pre-selecting companies? We start by focusing on a specific area—in this case, the CACEM, Jambette, California, and Lézarde regions. First and foremost, the companies need to be motivated and willing to participate. Then we hold a workshop to explore potential synergies among these companies. We are supported by the association Entreprises et Environnement, which hires a project manager to implement, over the long term, the initiatives identified in the workshops. Next, we’ll need to support the companies in bringing these synergies to fruition and expanding the program to the rest of Martinique. We have already established a steering committee with CACEM, CTM, CCIM, ADEME, AMPI, Entreprise et Environnement, the Federation of Economic Activity Zones, INEC, and DEAL; it brings together all the key industry stakeholders in Martinique. The steering committee was launched in early May, but DEAL has been working on this since 2018. We responded to a call for proposals and secured €15,000 in funding specifically for this project from the General Commission for Sustainable Development, which supports innovative projects.
Does this reflect a demand from businesses? The DEAL Martinique, in partnership with the DEAL Guadeloupe, has developed a roadmap for the circular economy. Our role is to launch this roadmap, and the CCIM has highlighted a need for a circular economy among manufacturers in Martinique. In particular, there is a challenge regarding waste management in economic zones, and this roadmap addresses that need as well.
Are synergies possible with outside companies, as needed? Yes. There are companies based in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana, such as GBH (1). In smaller territories, for example, there is a problem with insufficient waste volume. We can’t generate enough waste to sustain viable processing companies; we need to collaborate with other companies in nearby territories to make it profitable. Currently, the waste is shipped to mainland France. If we can collect enough material, eventually we’ll be able to consider setting up a recycling system with our neighbors. In Guadeloupe, they already have waste recovery and recycling capabilities, particularly in the insulation sector. There’s also cooking oil, which is converted into biodiesel.
Could this spread to other Caribbean countries? Perhaps, to reach a critical mass in terms of waste, we’ll need to expand to other regions, and this could work both ways. In Martinique, we collect very little waste compared to the potential (lack of a structured sorting system—Ed.). There is much progress to be made in this area. Nor do we have a waste recovery system for industrial facilities. But it’s not just in the area of waste that synergies are possible. For example, SARA could generate energy next to a company with high energy needs that could directly benefit from SARA’s capacity. It could also involve sharing staff who might otherwise be underutilized by a single company, and so on…
Interview by Nathalie Laulé
(1) The Bernard Hayot Group has signed a partnership agreement with INEC to facilitate the implementation of the circular economy across its various subsidiaries. It is the first business group in the French overseas territories to join this initiative.
National Institute for the Circular Economy “The Circular Economy: A New Model for Prosperity”
Founded in 2013, INEC’s mission is to promote the circular economy and accelerate its implementation. The Circular Economy «is a principle of economic organization aimed at decoupling the creation of societal value from environmental impact through optimized resource management. This model involves adopting new, more sustainable and efficient approaches to design, production, and consumption (eco-design, industrial and territorial ecology, the functional economy, etc.) and treating waste as a resource.»
France’s overseas territories face specific resource constraints and economic vulnerabilities due to their island locations and isolation from mainland France. In particular, they are dependent on external sources for their supply of raw materials and energy. The goal for these territories is «to improve resource management and create new local industries that generate economic value-added and jobs that cannot be relocated.»
New Call for Proposals on the Circular Economy
ADEME Martinique, in partnership with the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique and the Prefecture of Martinique, is launching the 2019–2020 Call for Circular Economy Projects.
«The goal of the circular economy is to produce goods and services while minimizing the consumption and waste of raw materials, water, and energy sources at every stage of the life cycle.»
This call for projects aims to implement practices based on the principles of the circular economy within organizations, with the goal of reduction in resource consumption and environmental impacts, but also consider new economic activities that create wealth and jobs throughout the region.
For project proposers, this call for proposals is structured around two approaches:
- Prevention and Recovery of Biowaste by strengthening local bio-waste management operations, combating food waste, implementing and optimizing curbside recycling for households, and facilitating the implementation of source separation in businesses; ;
- extending the useful life of products or services starting with the design phase, but also by promoting reuse, recycling, and repair, and by experimenting with the implementation of return programs.
Application deadlines:
- September 13, 2019, at 12:00 p.m. (local time); ;
- January 31, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. (local time).
Please send your application by email to Danielle Lucien.
