Phénix is a pioneer of anti-gasping in France. Its mission is to collect unsold materials from our supermarkets, to redistribute them and even to train the staff of mass retailers . "The surplus of some becomes the raw material of others: it is the principle of the circular economy," explains Jean-Moreau , co-creator of Phoenix a year ago.
Today, more than ever, especially with the all new law now forbidding the actors of the supermarket to make their unsold unsuitable for consumption, the system works. Phénix is located in the four corners of France, in Ile de France , in the South-West , in Brittany and in the Rhône-Alpes region . Zoom on this multitasking company, queen of the anti-gaspi.
Phénix logistique the gift to associations
Leclerc , Carrefour , U System , Monoprix , Franprix , Auchan ... Phénix has one foot in all the signs of the supermarket. The company is directly mandated by the supermarkets who wish to manage their unsold and to value them . "We have the bins of donations that store staff fill out as they go along," explains Jean Moreau. We provide the logistics route and obviously make coolers available to ensure the cold chain of fresh produce and fruits and vegetables. "
All the products harvested are then redistributed free of charge to large associations such as Les Restos du Cœur , Le Secours Populaire or La Croix Rouge . But also to small local associations . Only constraint: it is up to them to recover the products by their own means.
Animal subsidiary and methanisation to reduce waste
0 waste , this is the aim of this company pro anti-gaspi. Over-ripe bananas, damaged strawberries, rotten apples ... With Phoenix, food that can no longer be eaten takes the path of the animal subsidiary and feed equestrian centers , stud farms , pig farms or SPA .
Other possibilities: composting and methanisation to transform waste into energy . To do this, Phénix works with processing plants and master composters.
Phénix detoxifies non-food products
The company also takes care of the destocking of prohibited food products such as alcohol bottles . And non-food products such as hygiene items. They are sold to wholesalers who buy by lot and resell. These include the products found in stores "Tout à 1 €" .
Phénix also unpacks the warehouses and hangars of the large surfaces of their pallets and crates . Artists and scenographers regularly retrieve them to make furniture with. Sofas , tables , deckchairs ... much of the material present on the 2015 edition of the We Love Green Festival at Parc Bagatelle in Paris was also built with wooden boxes and pallets recovered from the shops.
A web platform for linking
Phénix goes even further by digitizing its service . Jean Moreau and his partner, Baptiste Corval , co-creator of the box and formerly a computer engineer, have developed a web platform for linking stores and associations. Roughly speaking, this is a system of classified advertisements such as Le Bon Coin : every day, retailers are putting an inventory of what they have to give. At a glance, the associations see what they need.
"We have not invented anything," analyzes Jean Moreau. Some ecological fiber racks were already sensitized to the gift. But all this was done very artisanally. We have professionalized something that already existed. "
Phénix offers an interesting and economically advantageous concept for large retailers: by using the company, supermarkets reduce their waste volumes considerably by taking care of almost nothing. And in addition, the Phoenix service is tax-free .