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Valérie Dumesny is the General Manager of Locaverre - Ma Bouteille s'appelle Reviens, a cooperative society focused on circular economy, particularly on the reuse of glass containers in Drôme-Ardèche.
During the summer break, the teams at impact.info invite you to (re)listen to one of our episodes published this year.
This features the testimony of Valérie Dumesny , the General Manager of Locaverre - Ma Bouteille s'appelle Reviens.
Enjoy listening!
Florence Jaillet
impact.info journalist
Published on 7 August 2026
Transcript Audio in Français — text automatically translated· AI-generated transcript
0:00 The reuse of glass containers remains marginal in France, while it could have a major environmental impact. 0:07 Favoring glass over plastic works. 0:10 It has saved 70,000 showers. 0:12 Today, we are at over 4,000 tons of CO2 savings as well. 0:16 That's equivalent to 400 times around the Earth in a combustion car. 0:21 Impact.info, doing business differently. 0:26 And what if we went back to deposits? We talk about it in the podcast for those 0:31 who want to change things within their company, Valérie Duméni. 0:36 Valérie Duméni, I was born on July 27, 1983, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Idelines. 0:42 I am the general director of L'eau qu'a vert, my bottle is called Revient. 0:45 L'eau qu'a vert, my bottle is called Revient. What is it? What do you do? 0:49 L'eau qu'a vert, my bottle is called Revient is a cooperative society of collective interests, 0:53 a SIC, that works in the circular economy sector 0:57 and more specifically in the reuse of glass containers. 1:01 So concretely, our core business is washing glass containers, 1:05 mainly wine bottles, juice, beer, kombucha, and also milk. 1:12 And some jars and pots. 1:14 We have a washing plant based in Chabeuil in the Drôme 1:18 which is a real industrial plant where we receive dirty bottles. 1:24 We wash them and then send them back to producers and marketers 1:28 to refill these bottles with liquid. 1:30 This is a sector that has completely disappeared from the economic landscape 1:37 since the arrival of plastic in France, which has been a while now. 1:41 L'eau qu'a vert, created in 2007, has allowed for the re-establishment of an entire sector 1:47 because indeed, there is this washing that we have really made our core business. 1:50 This is just one part of the chain of this profession, 1:54 in the sense that the main actors are the marketers, 1:58 so it's the producers who today put glass bottles on the market 2:04 that will break in the sorting columns. 2:08 So our other job is also to support these marketers 2:11 to facilitate the implementation of reusable glass containers in their range 2:17 and to be able to benefit from the reuse logo that goes on the labels 2:21 which allows consumers to know whether a bottle is reusable or not. 2:27 And then there is the territorial network of collection points 2:31 to bring back these glass containers. 2:33 We have developed collection points in Dromardèche 2:37 and we collect particularly in that territory. 2:40 So this is also support for the stores. 2:42 So we have producers' stores, organic stores like La Vie Claire, Biocoop, etc. 2:47 And little by little, now, the large supermarkets are getting to work. 2:51 with Super U, Intermarché, Auchan, etc. 2:55 And so these collection points are also places of visibility for consumers 2:59 which help to slightly increase the volumes. 3:02 Are there systems that also help limit water use during washing? 3:08 Yes, so of course, we use energy, 3:12 but much less than for making a new bottle. 3:15 And here, it's quite interesting because the environmental benefits have been modeled by ADEME, 3:20 which demonstrates all the positive effects of a reusable bottle. 3:24 To make a new glass bottle, it takes about 75 cl of water. 3:28 When we use 33 to wash it. 3:31 So, we soak the bottle to remove the label 3:34 for much less time than making a new glass. 3:37 And then, we have an internal water recycling system 3:40 that rinses the bottles with already used water 3:44 for, of course, a final rinse with clean water. 3:46 But you see, to create a new bottle, you have to heat an oven to over 400 degrees 3:51 for more than 24 hours. 3:53 We heat the water to 80 degrees and the bottle soaks for 20 minutes 3:58 to remove the labels, also getting rid of any food residues inside. 4:03 And then, to give a bit more global figures on the ecological impact 4:07 we're talking about tons of waste avoided. 4:10 For example, in 2024, we washed 1.3 million bottles. 4:14 This allowed us to avoid 678 tons, 4:18 which corresponds to 1,300 people accumulating waste per year. 4:23 Since the creation of the structure and its washing unit, we've washed over 4 million bottles. 4:28 This leads to waste consumption for 5,200 people per year. 4:32 It's also worth noting that this is a saving for the local community 4:35 because sorting costs them money. 4:37 And then, regarding water savings, we estimate that since these 4 million washed bottles, 4:43 it has saved 70,000 showers. 4:45 Today, there are more than 4,000 tons of CO2 savings as well. 4:50 This corresponds to 400 times around the Earth in a thermal car. 4:54 In what way, in your opinion, does what you do, your actions change the game, 4:57 change things for the people directly involved? 5:00 And then, on a larger scale too, on this topic of reuse? 5:04 Well, first of all, it changes the game for the environment. 5:06 Clearly, the savings we make in terms of CO2, waste, water, 5:11 in short, the use of natural resources, address today's crucial challenges. 5:18 Then, through the cooperative principle, but also on the territorial network, 5:23 we actually facilitate the meeting of people. 5:26 We highlight local producers 5:27 and that, in turn, contributes to the dynamics of local economic relocalization. 5:33 And finally, we develop partnerships at the regional and also national level, 5:39 of course, with market players, but also with structures like ours, 5:44 that wash, collect, sort, etc., 5:47 to sustainably and strongly recreate this sector in the country. 5:53 We also draw inspiration from models beyond our territory, 5:57 notably in Germany, the Concile has never stopped, 6:00 and also in Alsace. 6:01 Our Alsatian colleagues certainly maintain this system that works very well 6:06 and the habits are clearly ingrained and are not up for debate. 6:10 What are the upcoming challenges to tackle? 6:12 The upcoming short-term challenges, therefore, for our structure, 6:16 concern both the structure and the consumers. 6:20 As I mentioned, we are a cooperative society with capital shares. 6:24 We are starting a fundraising campaign to invest 6:28 in production tools that are more suited to the market 6:32 and also to improve the quality of our production. 6:35 Today, anyone interested in joining as a member 6:39 in our structure is welcome. 6:41 Our capital shares are at 100 euros, they are deductible from 25% of taxes 6:46 and can allow us, through small civic gestures, 6:50 to make significant progress and address the challenges of the sector. 6:56 And then, another common challenge, rather for the sector, 7:00 is that citizens return their bottles. 7:03 So here, I take advantage of this audience to convey this strong message. 7:09 Don't hesitate, dear citizens, to check on each bottle you consume, 7:14 if the Reemployment logo is present, and return your bottles. 7:18 We plan to wash 2 million bottles in 2025, 7:22 to wash 10 million in 2030, and this will involve a whole range of possibilities, 7:29 but also that citizens agree to make this important gesture for ecology. 7:39 Valérie Duméni, you are the general director of OCAVER, 7:42 My Bottle is called, comes back. 7:44 16 years old, it's the age in France to start your own business. 7:46 At 16, what were you doing? 7:48 What were you aiming for? What excited you? 7:51 Did you think about starting a business? 7:53 Were you already carrying this kind of topic? 7:55 At 16, I don't think I had asked myself the question 7:58 of whether I would lead, create, take over, or develop an activity. 8:04 What I wanted from a young age was to participate in changing the world. 8:09 I've always been really attached to the impact of our actions, to solidarity. 8:17 I really grew up with that intention, 8:20 that my work could help improve the world we lived in. 8:25 Of course, the first years of professional experience 8:29 showed me that I wouldn't be able to change the world. 8:31 I started by working in African countries and Latin America, 8:36 on development projects like fair trade, microcredit, etc. 8:41 But ultimately, working in a sector with high social and environmental value 8:46 allowed me to contribute a stone to the building 8:48 and not worsen the situation we were in. 8:53 Since I started working, I've managed to work 8:55 only in the social and solidarity economy sectors. 8:58 And today, my bottle called Reviens fits perfectly into this framework, 9:04 with an even stronger impact on the resilience of territories, 9:09 sustainable development, etc. 9:11 And I am convinced that it contributes to moving in the direction we are de facto imposed, 9:17 which is to no longer destroy the earth we live on, 9:21 to no longer be in constant competition, etc. 9:24 And to do things together, and also to do things based on reality. 9:28 That is to say, we have solutions that exist 9:30 and that are much more suited to today's world. 9:33 It takes courage, it takes energy, etc. 9:35 But these solutions are possible. 9:38 And my bottle called Reviens is a perfect example, 9:40 because for eight years, it has been a structure that is growing little by little, 9:43 that is strengthening its capacity to produce, etc. 9:47 and that can today respond to the challenges of the coming years in this sector. 9:52 Thank you Valérie Dumesny, General Director of OCAVER. 9:56 My bottle is called Reviens. 9:57 You can listen to this podcast again on our site impact.info. 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