Driven by a desire to combine innovation, inclusivity, and the circular economy, Jean Sauttreau founded the company Boudi. Using plastic waste, his team—composed mainly of people with disabilities—manufactures and cuts panels using an in-house thermocompression process. This innovation owes much to the support of Ecomaison, as do the company’s promising prospects for growth.
Can you tell us about Boudi?
Jean Sauttreau: Boudi is a social and solidarity economy enterprise founded in January 2023. We recycle post-consumer plastic waste through innovations in the circular economy and promote the integration of people with disabilities into value-added technical roles. Today, we are an innovative microbusiness with five employees, three of whom have disabilities and work in production. I’d like to add that the name, Boudi, comes from a local expression that evokes the exclamation “Bon Dieu” (Good Lord), used in moments of surprise, admiration, or weariness.
Boudi: Profile
- Created: January2023
- Business: BoudiSAS, an innovative social enterprise in the Cévennes region
- Location:100 Chemin de Panissière, 30340 ROUSSON
- Staff:5 people (3 in production, one assistant, and the president)
- Partners: Ecomaison, IMT Mines Alès, CREALIA Occitanie, Alès Agglomération, ADEME
- Core business:manufacturing and cutting panels from recycled plastic
How do you work with Ecomaison?
Jean Sauttreau: We have two partnerships. The first involves substantial financial support from Ecomaison, which covers part of the costs associated with our innovation efforts. Equally important, the second partnership ensures a steady supply of recycled raw materials. This is essential for continuing our operations and our research efforts. To be honest, without Ecomaison’s support, we wouldn’t be where we are today!
What do you make from post-consumer plastic?
Jean Sauttreau: We source plastic waste from a recycler in the form of shredded material. Our massive press (over 3 m x 1.30 m) heats the material and applies very high pressure to it, much like a panini press. We manufacture panels of various thicknesses, ranging from 1 to 15 millimeters, which are sold as raw material or cut to size and assembled. The advantage of polypropylene is its abrasion resistance and good mechanical properties. We started out by manufacturing formwork for the construction industry. Then our material attracted interest from other industries, so we began producing panels for signage, construction site fencing, flight cases for events (large wheeled crates), displays for retail, and more. In response to customer requests, we are constantly expanding our product line.
To that end, is securing your supply a crucial requirement?
Jean Sauttreau: Yes, in fact, that’s the purpose of our second contract with Ecomaison. It covers the procurement of recycled raw materials from its partners. This provides these recycling centers with an additional outlet. And from our perspective, we’re assured of a steady supply over the next five years—in terms of volume, price, and quality. Ecomaison’s support is both crucial and foundational. It helps us anchor our approach within a long-term vision. This partnership reassures our customers and, furthermore, allows us to join an ecosystem of manufacturers and organizations committed to recycling and recovering their production or consumer waste.
What technical challenges are you facing in this process?
Jean Sauttreau: We want to produce a material that is not only reusable but also machinable and recyclable again. This is a challenge we’ve addressed in our research to achieve a closed-loop circular system. Furthermore, depending on their intended use, plastics incorporate other elements such as talc or fibers. These products, known as fillers, alter the physical and chemical properties of the plastics. We have therefore developed a model robust enough to work with all of these products. For each new source of raw material, we conduct tests on its composition to calibrate the pressure, temperature, and press duration, ensuring consistent production over a certain period of time.
What are your short- and long-term plans?
Jean Sauttreau: Given our investments in production facilities, our priority is to expand our business and applications while securing our customer base through 2026. Improving our productivity will also enable more people with disabilities to join our team.
Ambitious Three-Year Goals
-
- 200 metric tons
recycled plastic per year within the next 2 to 3 years
-
- 11
employees within the next 3 years
-
- 75 %
number of employees with disabilities
In a nutshell
Read also
-
Reuse: Mobidécor and Ecomaison Build Lasting Relationships
-
A Second Life for Plastic Waste with Boudi, an Innovative and Inclusive Company