The group La Poste's circular economy policy aims to ensure the responsible management of resources at every level of the company. In addition to transforming its own operations, this policy is reflected in the development of specific solutions for its customers.
Its objective is to :
reuse or recycle 75% of its waste;
reuse 100% of its reusable IT equipment;
with at least 10% of reused solidarity initiatives, especially with digital inclusion.
Key figures
6 years and 7 years: the average length of use of La Poste's laptops and desktop computers, compared with an average of 3 and 5 years.
3,035 computers and 22,063 cell phones and tablets were sent for reuse outside of the group in 2021.
Between €500,000 and €800,000 in savings achieved per year thanks to the reuse of spare parts from mail-sorting machines to repair other machines.
93% of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE ) is recovered.
Thanks to its expertise in reverse logistics(1), the group La Poste and its subsidiaries provide solutions to players in the circular economy. We gather diffuse resources, group them together, give them added value and transfer them them to companies specialising in the recycling and reuse of materials and equipment.
For the past 10 years, La Poste has been working collecting and recycling office waste through its dedicated subsidiaries Recygo and Nouvelle Attitude, a company that focuses on employment as a means of social integration.
Several group companies, including La Poste and Urby (its low-emission, urban logistics subsidiary) are integrating circular logistics activities into their service offers. For example: collecting used packaging (known as 5 flows - pallets, cardboard, plastics, polystyrene, etc.) from professional customers to whom we deliver or who are on delivery routes; collecting reusable jars from the catering customers to whom we deliver and reinjecting them into the circuit; collecting hair from hairdressers and sending it to recycling channels.
Colissimo and Shop2Shop (by Chronopost) support the development of second-hand retail platforms involving private individuals, by facilitating the shipment/reception of goods through Pickup points or letterboxes.
Develop a reference base for resource pathways
By 2030, the group La Poste aims to be the first company to have established a resource pathway that has "SBT for resources" certification, compatible with global limits in terms of resource consumption. It is also contributing to the development of "resources" reference base that can be used all companies, within the framework of the Science Based Targets Network, whose work to date has focused on a broader reference base covering all environmental subjects (Science Based Targets for nature).
The development of the circular economy at regional level is also supported by La Banque Postale's financing solutions. Aimed at local authorities, companies and professionals, "green loans" are used to finance projects focusing on sustainable water management and treatment, as well as waste management and recovery.
The crowd-funding financing solutions provided by KissKissBankBank, a subsidiary of La Banque Postale, also help to promote the development of new circular-economy sectors.
The promotion of the circular economy also applies to the range of products and services that the group makes available to its customers, such as envelopes, parcel packages and cell phones. La Poste Mobile aims for 10% of its phone sales to concern refurbished phones and is developing phone repair, reuse and recycling offers.
La Poste 's objective is for its parcel and mail packaging to incorporate 60% of recycled materials while maintaining packaging that is 100% recyclable and aiming for zero non-reusable plastic packaging. In 2021, it tested and then deployed a dual-purpose flexible bag.
La Poste advises its e-retailer customers on how to reduce the amount of empty space in packages and consume fewer raw materials, as well as on how to integrate recycled materials while maintaining the strength of the packaging. In 2021, to support the development of the e-commerce sector, La Poste created a certification label that sets out the technical, environmental and societal standards required to ensure the successful delivery of parcels with reusable packaging, including an industrial process for the return of empty packaging.
(1): Collecting, gathering, adding value and transferring waste to companies specialised in the recycling and reuse of materials and equipment.
