Waste reduction: SUEZ wins three "Good Economy" awards for its innovative performance contracts

SUEZ won the Gold Prize in the "Business Model Transformation" category, the ISEG Student Prize and the Good Economy Grand Prize for its new waste management performance contracts in France.

These waste performance contracts were designed by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) to support the ambitious waste reduction targets initiated by the French Circular Economy Law of February 2020 (-15% household waste by 2030). From 2022, SUEZ has been implementing and developing this innovative model with pioneering local authorities, starting with Greater Montauban, followed by Limoges Métropole and Nîmes Métropole. These contracts represent a real revolution in the waste management sector, as they allow to move from a focus on tonnes collected to targets for reducing the volume of residual household waste, thus reversing the model and the economics of the contract. For example, the Greater Montauban area has set itself the target of reducing the amount of household waste produced in the area by 10% by 2028. SUEZ has committed to reduction targets of -12% for household waste, -35% for bulky waste, -15% for green waste and -2% for selective packaging collection.

SUEZ has developed unique expertise and implements targeted action plans in partnership with local authorities. The measures taken are tailored to each area, with a strong local dimension and two key levers for success:

• Firstly, the need to change people's behaviour through training and awareness-raising initiatives to encourage the sorting of food waste and improve the sorting of recyclable packaging. SUEZ also uses innovative digital tools to help citizens sort their waste – such as the "Mon Service Déchets" app, which makes it easier to access information on waste management - and uses the data collected by its collection trucks (volumes, locations, etc.) to fine-tune awareness-raising campaigns and focus on areas where progress is needed.
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• The second lever is the collaborative dimension of the approach. Relying on a large number of local players, SUEZ has created a veritable ecosystem of associative structures in the social and solidarity-based circular economy, each of which will participate in this global dynamic in its own field .

Finally, in order to reduce the environmental impact of the service as part of these performance 
contracts, SUEZ has included in its offer the use of low-carbon mobility with collection vehicles using alternative fuels.

These performance contracts are fully in line with the Sustainable development roadmap :

• Climate pillar: reducing GHG emissions by using alternative fuels for waste collection 
• Nature pillar: preserving resources by supporting the development of reuse and recycling 
• Social pillar: contributing to local prosperity and inclusion for all (creation of an ecosystem of associative structures in the circular, social and solidarity economy).