Collection of used furniture in France increased by 27% in 2019

The collection of used furniture in France increased by 27% in 2019 compared to the previous year, reaching 874,052 tonnes of DEA (waste furniture elements), said Thursday Eco-mobilier, the eco-organization in responsible for this recycling sector.

Read alsoIkea opens its first second-hand store in Sweden

The rate of recycling into new recycled raw materials and energy recovery reached 93%, well above the regulatory target of 80%, Eco-mobilier said in a press release.

“From 2021, one million tonnes of used furniture is expected each year”, according to the president of Eco-mobilier, Dominique Mignon, quoted in the press release. The industry is "committed today with determination to zero waste", she adds, an objective targeted by 2023. The president of Eco-mobilier recalls that in 2011, there were still up to 55% of used furniture that ended up in landfill.

Today, more than half (57%) of the used furniture collected is recycled, the wood, for example, is used to manufacture particleboard. The rest (36%) is transformed into solid recovered fuel (SRF), used mainly to supply cement kilns or district heating networks.

Eco-mobilier's annual report further states that local authorities collect 81% of used furniture, while the 370 players in the social and solidarity economy who have signed an agreement with Eco-mobilier collect 13%. Finally, nearly 1,400 professionals equipped with an Eco-mobilier tipper collect the remaining 6%.

Read alsoIt is now possible to pay in installments for purchases between individuals

The eco-organization recalls that it had set up 4,794 collection points in 2019, corresponding to a territorial coverage rate of more than 96%.