Not only does it redistribute resources within the economic ecosystem of Lac-Saint-Jean, but it also allows individuals in special situations to integrate or re-enter the job market. For the Réemploi+ organization, revaluation is not just a story of recycled materials: it also has a human dimension.
“Our mission is to divert the landfilling of materials from companies that still have potential for reuse. It’s also the promotion of people: we allow people who have challenges integrating into employment to contribute to socio-economic development in our region,” says Katia Girard, general director of Réemploi+.
In operation since fall 2021, Réemploi+ works in close collaboration with the Residual Materials Authority (RMR) of Lac-Saint-Jean.
The organization was created to respond to the Residual Materials Management Plan emanating from the CMA, which aims to achieve targets established by the Ministry of the Environment.
In 2023, we have accumulated 372 tonnes of materials diverted from landfill. Most of it went to private homes, which means we found someone who bought the product.
Katia Girard, general director of Réemploi+
First, Réemploi+ recovers the materials in one of its six R+ Domes, which are themselves installed in the Lac-Saint-Jean ecocenters. Delivery is made over 240 km thanks to optimization of truck routes in partnership with the Coderr Group, before the products are processed in the workshop and then put back on sale at a lower cost in its three hardware stores.
The main hardware store is located in Alma, but the group is also present in Dolbeau-Mistassini and Roberval since last fall.
Eliminate settings
In addition to its 32 regular employees, Réemploi+ welcomed 107 people with special needs or social reintegration in 2023. They can stay for a few weeks or permanently, depending on their needs.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY REEMPLOYMENT+
Katia Girard is general director of Réemploi+.
These individuals come from different backgrounds: halfway houses, youth centers, prison centers, rehabilitation centers for intellectual disabilities… but once they arrive, “we don’t have specific measures for these people, we just do the welcome, explains Katia Girard. No obligation of profitability, then an adaptation according to the objectives and the wishes of the person.”
The company now has several small successes. Two participants with severe disabilities who have been there for a year, for example, have gained autonomy to the point where they no longer have to be constantly accompanied. They feel useful and accomplished.
Another person, for whom the usual job market represented a challenge due to his personal and mental situation, worked only in the warehouse or reception… “Today, this person does the same work as a clerk », rejoices Mme Girard.
“It brings a really special atmosphere that you don’t find elsewhere,” she continues. We remove a lot of labels and parameters, […] it brings a particular human dimension. »
Otherwise, when asked about the population’s response to the presence of Réemploi+, Katia Girard calls for a “change in consumption paradigms” concerning the life cycle of materials. According to her, the situation can still improve.
“Thrift stores have been going from “fight against poverty” to “way of consumption” for several years. As for construction materials, it is not yet a given that the additional box of ceramics from your renovation project can be brought to Réemploi+. »