Circul'R interview - Gaëtane Lemarchand
A 30-minute interview with Gaëtane Lemarchand, managing consultant for Circul’R, is enough to act as an eye-opener. Yes, positive transformation becomes more evident by adopting a collaborative and holistic approach to a value chain. And POS materials are no different. Find out how making circular POS tomorrow’s gold standard shifts from a far-fetched concept to a shared short-term ambition.
A 30-minute interview with Gaëtane Lemarchand, managing consultant for Circul’R, is enough to act as an eye-opener. Yes, positive transformation becomes more evident by adopting a collaborative and holistic approach to a value chain. And POS materials are no different. Find out how making circular POS tomorrow’s gold standard shifts from a far-fetched concept to a shared short-term ambition.
A conversation with Gaëtane Lemarchand,
Managing consultant, Circul'R
What is the purpose of Circul'R?
Our team of 25 experts is driven by the same ambition: to accelerate the shift towards a circular economy. For that, we empower companies and managers through training, offer comprehensive consultancy and connect organisations within our collaborative coalition: the Circul'R Club.
How come Circul'R has tackled the issue of POS advertising?
A couple of years ago, one of our Circul'R Club partners, representing a cosmetics company, voiced concerns about the value chain of POS materials. We learned that approximately 30% of POS products don't even get installed in-store. After investigating the matter, we found out that brands are not sufficiently aware of the lifecycle of these materials, and collaboration between the various players of the value chain is insufficient. In other words, the POS industry is highly linear and generally wasteful of resources.
So how do Circul'R and its partners contribute to changing paradigms?
First, we need to show that people care. For that, we've interrogated hundreds of customers, mainly in France. Nearly half of them acknowledge the irresponsible nature of today's POS. In addition, more than 60% of respondents declare giving more credit to brands willing to address the issue and deliver more circular POS solutions. Our role is to bring visibility to this insight and encourage brands to set the same sustainability standards to their POS materials as in their product portfolio. POS is a very visible representation of a company's or brand's identity. It seems only vital to make it as responsible as possible.
How is this insight a game-changer?
Our study, which generated lots of interest from many organisations, is a steppingstone to a more concrete action plan. The next stage of our ambition is to initiate programmes that contribute to build circular value chains. It implies projects focusing on ecodesign, functionality (from single-use POS materials to reusable solutions) and end-of-life.
What does a company like Antalis bring to the equation?
Beyond their in-depth experience of CSR and eco-design, Antalis offers a true visibility to our approach. Having such support is absolutely paramount. By joining forces, our voice can be heard beyond our ecosystem. Our goal is to influence public authorities to adopt regulations and finance the development of next-generation collection and recycling infrastructure. These synergies are the cornerstone of the positive transition towards innovative POS solutions that are eco-designed, reusable and more valuable. Circular POS is possible, truly!
