The idea for Val’Trions, a charity that encourages the reuse of waste objects in order to give them a second life and reduce waste, came from the sustainable development advisory committee of the town of Vaugneray in eastern France. The charity, which was officially launched in 2016, is made up of various thrift stores that manage the recovery, reuse, and resale of goods. Val’trions and its stores aim to promote not only the circular economy but also the development of the local social and solidarity economy by combining volunteer teams and people re-entering the workforce.

Jean-Pierre Nemoz, a business development director at VINCI Energies, was one of the founding members of Val’Trions: “Our goal was to encourage people to provide objects that didn’t work anymore or that they no longer had any use for, then to repair them and sell them on in our shops. The proceeds go towards supporting the charity and are reinvested in new thrift stores.”

According to Jean-Pierre, this challenge is a continuation of his job: “When I identify businesses likely to be acquired by VINCI Energies, I ensure that they are in line with our values, solidarity being the most important one for me.”