Launched in May 2018, the Recyclerie des Moulins combines three pillars of sustainable development:

• Environmental: waste reduction and awareness raising for the eco-citizens of tomorrow
• Social: improvement of the living environment by collecting and recycling bulky waste
• Economic: consumption at affordable prices and professional reintegration activities

Key objectives:

• Upgrading objects that can be repaired and reused by creating a short cycle between consumption and revalorization
• Establishing a sorting, reuse and recovery facility for second-hand objects that promotes a social, solidarity and circular economic model and creates a new local business
• Deploying educational tools to teach users to sort, prevent waste and process compost
• Creating local jobs

Located in an area of Nice that is undergoing urban renewal, the Recyclerie Les Moulins houses:

• A 194 square metres building for sorting recyclable and reusable bulky items collected in the Les Moulins district
• A public space for the voluntary collection of objects delivered by local residents
• A recycling space for repairing small objects (appliances, furniture, etc.),
• An educational area for collective composting, a shared garden, waste sorting and recycling

The recycling service collects bulky items in the Les Moulins district. It also offers an incentive for on-site voluntary contributions and for home collection by appointment. Sorting is a major function of the service and incoming flows are measured and qualified. The sorting process identifies waste suitable for recovery waste to be recycled or disposed of.

During the evaluation stage the objects collected are checked, cleaned and repaired to restore their value. Thanks to the work of the recovery team, some parts may be customised or revamped to create new objects.

The shop is the end-point of the reuse chain: it sells a range of products at low prices including furniture, small household appliances, audio equipment, computers, crockery, toys, books, records, decorative items and more.

In parallel, the Recyclerie des Moulins project includes an environmental awareness campaign aimed at the general public and schoolchildren. The idea is to inform and raise awareness about waste prevention and, more generally, respect for the environment through workshops, an educational garden and a shared garden. The Recyclerie’s awareness-raising activities are also targeted for local companies' employees.

Job development is key component of the project. The Recyclerie offers people looking for work a paid job, training and specific individual and group support, as well as work scenarios for sustainable employment.

The total investment for the ‘Recyclerie des Moulins’ project was EUR 780 132; the European Regional Development Fund' contribution amounted to EUR 390 066 under the ‘ERDF/ESF OP for Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur’ cooperation programme for the 2014–2020 programming period.

The Recyclerie des Moulins and the Métropole have established partnerships with various stakeholders in the neighbourhood, including:

• A technical high school which participates in repairing computer and electronic equipment and trains Recyclerie's staff to diagnose and repair objects
• The public social housing company for reporting and collecting bulky items from households and other private spaces
• Nurseries, schools, colleges and high schools in the neighbourhood for workshops and educational events
• Local NGOs and volunteer collectives involved in all activities at the Recyclerie
• A local Psychotherapy Centre.
• The municipal “project house” implementing local hygiene actions

The Recyclerie welcomed nearly 11,000 visitors in 2019 from a neighbourhood with a population of 12,000 people. A total of 303 tonnes of bulky items were collected in the Les Moulins district; this, along with 1,950 voluntary contributions, brings the total to nearly 347 tonnes of collected materials. Seventeen tonnes of objects were upgraded and resold and 190 objects were revamped and upcycled.

225 events were staged over the course of the year, an average of 19 per month. 1,407 people participated in the project's activities, including the shared garden. The local newspaper regularly reports on Recyclerie  

The project employs four full-time workers, and 28 reintegrated employees who have worked on various activities on the site.

The impact on cleanliness of the neighbourhood is significant; the district has benefitted from a huge decrease in the number of bulky items left in the streets.

Due to the recycling activity, a circular and solidarity economy has been established with sales outlets open to residents. 60% of the outlet’s turnover relates to the purchase of restored equipment purchased by local residents.

In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 confinement periods had a negative impact on the Recyclerie's activities.

With support from institutional national networks dedicated to urban development, the model of the Recyclerie will soon be replicated in a second priority area of Nice.

Visits to the Recyclerie are regularly organised for the consortium of EU projects dedicated to urban waste management.