Engaged retailers for zero waste
About this good practice
This project is conduct for three years by the CPIE Côte Provençale on his territory, first at La Ciotat, then at St-Cyr-sur-mer. It’s about to support them going through new regulation forbidden the use of single use of plastic items. The law concerning the issue of waste and circular economy (AGEC) plans to prohibit from 1st January 2021 the distribution and the selling of single use plastic items.
The CPIE Côte Provençale wished to mobilize engaging communication as success lever in the step of approach and support of retailers. With researchers from social psychology laboratory at Aix-Marseille University, the CPIE Côte Provençale built a protocol of support aimed to retailers.
This protocol is built on three visits to retailers and resume engaging communication lever, namely the creation of an engaging context, the analyses of current practices and proposition of eco gestures. First visit of prospection consists of collecting via a form the opinion of retailers about port cleanliness and responsibilities of actors in waste production. The second visit has for purpose to know practices and habits of retailers and generate their engagement on one or more eco gestures. Finally, the third visit serve to control the implementation of eco gesture and if so to distribute communication support gratifying retailors engagement.
Resources needed
Human resources : 87 days out of a year
Financial resources: publics subvention : South region and Metropolis of Aix Marseille Provence
Technics needed :prestation for support communication realization, definition of a support methodology in connection with the laboratory of social psychology.
Evidence of success
In 2020: 23 merchants committed out of 64 met, 51 eco-gestures taken, with emphasis on strawless drinking.
The exchanges with the shopkeepers allowed them to be informed about the sometimes unknown legislation, and about the alternatives to plastic. The communication materials distributed also raised the awareness of the general public, by directing users towards a strawless drink or ice cream in a cone rather than a jar, for example.
Potential for learning or transfer
Stocks already present. Retailers have stocks (e.g. of plastic straws or plastic doggy bags if they distribute few) that they inherit from the past year or that are offered to them by suppliers.
Few eco-designed brands to recommend. The market for alternative plastic tableware is booming and more and more suppliers are offering a range of so-called "biodegradable" products. However, it is very complicated to have information on the traceability of these products: mode of supply of raw materials, mode of culture of the plants, social environment of the employees, ink used for the paper straws.
Bioplastics and PLA. Impact studies on the design, use and end-of-life management (recycling and composting) of bioplastics and PLA are lacking.
Retailers are concerned about deposit theft and therefore
the extra cost of replacing disposable dishes with returnable ones.
by returnable dishes. The question of hygiene was raised by many restaurant owners.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
CPIE Côte Provençale