French Municipalities Advance Circular Economy with Award and Social Economy Hub

French local governments are actively promoting circular economy initiatives, with notable developments in Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur and Annecy.

Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur was awarded the Bronze distinction by Agorastore’s Programme Meilleurs Vendeurs in 2025. This program recognizes public entities for effectively integrating reuse of equipment into their asset management. Evaluation criteria included sales revenue, number of items reused, and variety of equipment. Agorastore’s platform facilitates the structured resale of public goods like vehicles and equipment via transparent online auctions, generating revenue and easing storage burdens. Servan Ndjantcha, Agorastore’s general director, highlighted the importance of encouraging public sector reuse practices to address economic, environmental, and budgetary challenges.

In Annecy, the former sawmill in Cran-Gevrier is being transformed into Cité ChevennESS, a social and solidarity economy hub led by Haute-Savoie Habitat with a €3.4 million investment. Renovations, beginning January 2026 and lasting six months, will create coworking spaces, training centers, artisanal workshops, and shared dining areas focused on sustainability. The project aims to foster a regenerative urban environment and stimulate positive economic impacts amid decreasing regional funding for the social economy. Pierre-Yves Antras, director of Haute-Savoie Habitat, emphasized the community-oriented vision driving this revitalization.

These initiatives exemplify concrete actions by French local governments to incorporate circular economy and social economy principles, combining environmental responsibility with economic revitalization and community engagement.