UPCYCLING Program - Nos projets

What is upcycling?

Upcycling is a way of creating value by recovering plastic waste and reusing it as a raw material to produce new, durable objects.

It is a form of “super recycling” that encourages the emergence of a circular economy. Waste materials that are no longer useful can be transformed into materials, and even into products of higher quality or greater utility.

In the ocean, our waste is a poison. Collected on land and properly sorted, it can be reinvented.

Reconciling ecology and economy

Today, it is essential to rethink our consumption patterns and introduce greater circularity. This is the challenge the UPCYCLING program seeks to address by aligning ecology and economy through the creation of local value from locally collected plastic waste.

Program presentation video by François Gabart

Organizations supported by the Upcycling program

Discover the network of stakeholders innovating with our plastic waste!

Provence, France

Save la Mermaid

Save La Mermaid aims to take action and inspire changes in mindset by raising awareness of marine plastic pollution, in order to preserve ocean biodiversity and ecosystems for future generations. The organization seeks to reconnect people with the ocean by showing that environmental action is accessible to all and by highlighting the importance of cleaning up our oceans, the lungs of our planet.

Saint-Malo, France

Génération Recycleur

Génération Recycleur aims to promote the circular economy by creating a unique and innovative experience. The goal is to reduce the demand for virgin plastics and close the loop by manufacturing durable, deposit-based products made from 100% recycled, locally sourced plastic.

Dunkirk, France

DK CleanUp

Since 2019, the association has organized citizen-led waste collection initiatives and conducted awareness-raising activities in schools, companies and various coastal organizations to inform about pollution affecting the region. It has also launched an upcycling project, Studio Paÿette, to add value to the collected waste.

The Reunion

La Raffinerie

La Raffinerie Réunion has developed an upcycling project to make a meaningful contribution to the sustainable management of plastic waste on the island of Réunion.

Grenoble, France

Tri-Haut pour l’Everest

Tri-Haut pour l’Everest is a French association that has been working for three years to provide plastic waste treatment solutions in the Solukhumbu region, near Mount Everest in Nepal.

Orléans, France

La Ressource AAA

La Ressource AAA is a reuse center based in Orléans, collecting items that owners no longer need, refurbishing them, and redistributing them.

International

Moi Jeu Tri

Moi Jeu Tri is an international NGO whose ambition is to turn waste in Africa into a powerful driver of inclusion, education, sustainable energy and social innovation.

Touraine, France

Métamorf

Métamorf is part of the global Precious Plastic movement, which leverages collective intelligence and creativity to combat plastic pollution.

Senegal

Nio Far

Works to support the social inclusion of women in Casamance by creating a plastic waste treatment and upcycling unit to address plastic pollution challenges along the Senegalese coast.

Benin

Gbobeto

Making cities cleaner by creating inclusive plastic waste recovery value chains, while fostering a job-creating circular economy.

Marseille, France

Recyclop

Recyclop is a team of employees and volunteers united in the fight against cigarette butt pollution, and has become a key environmental protection stakeholder in the Southern France region.

Brittany, France

Rehab

Upcycling plastic into indoor furniture and decorative objects, combined with awareness-raising workshops.

Basque Country, France

Resak

Upcycling plastic into indoor furniture and decorative objects, combined with awareness-raising workshops.

France

Sauvage

Sauvage upcycles marine waste collected from beaches into eco-designed creations and raises public awareness about plastic pollution through its Mobile Recycling Unit.

Île-de-France, France

Fablab La Verrière

Workshops focused on digital and traditional fabrication, waste recycling, and digital literacy and mediation activities.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

La Matière

La Matière is a unique hybrid organization in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, combining the roles of a third place, an association and a business to address circular economy and resource efficiency challenges.

Mediterranean

Mare Vivu

Fighting plastic pollution in the Mediterranean, with a strong commitment to low-tech research, local recycling experiments and the promotion of zero waste.

Mediterranean

APAM

Projects supporting sustainable fishing and maritime activities, as well as the preservation of the marine environment, in the Mediterranean.

Marseille, France

Les Petits Labos

Les Petits Labos is an artist duo exploring the transformation of plastic waste into an alternative and sensitive artistic practice.

Marseille, France

Autrement plastique

Awareness-raising activities focused on reducing, reusing and recycling plastic.

Central Africa

Rastoma

A network dedicated to the protection of marine turtle species in Central Africa, collecting, sorting and transforming plastic waste into small souvenir items sold to tourists.

Provence, France

Milvi

Eco-design through the development of playful and innovative projects, and plastic recycling using clean-energy machines, such as solar-powered systems.

Normandy, France

Plastnat

Plastnat, based on circular economy principles and short supply chains, manually transforms household and industrial plastic waste into greenhouses, compost bins and outdoor furniture.

Provence, France

Regénération

The association provides those who wish to get involved with tools for awareness-raising and production in the fight against plastic pollution. An eco-engaged artistic movement that has chosen to use recyclable, innovative and biodegradable materials throughout its creative, manufacturing and communication processes.

Provence, France

Fils & Plastic

Raising awareness, sorting and adding value to waste to better design objects. The organization transforms plastic waste into new recycled and recyclable products.

Paris, Lyon, France

La Maison Upcycling

Restoring young people’s confidence in science through playful learning, and empowering them to become key players in environmental protection.

Corsica, France

Échos d’Océan

Echos d’Océans relies on low-tech solutions to clean up ports, the commitment of volunteers to ensure high-quality work, the expertise of communication professionals to raise awareness among young audiences, and partnerships with other associations to strengthen the impact of its actions.

Togo

Cogesten/E.D

COGESTEN/E.d is a public-interest association that has been developing sustainable development programs for over 30 years, focused on environmental protection, water, energy, sanitation and agriculture in Lomé, Togo.