Action plans
Cross-cutting actions
Action 1: Setting up an internal material traceability system (lightweight blockchain or advanced ERP)
Establishing an internal traceability system is a central lever for manufacturers wishing to control their material chain within a circular economy logic. This traceability can rely on a variety of technical solutions, ranging from an advanced ERP incorporating traceability modules to more innovative technologies such as blockchain. Manufacturers in the Grand Est region can draw on local providers specialising in industrial digitalisation or on national partners such as Altaroad (for construction), or ERP integrators (such as SAP, Sage X3, or Odoo). For blockchain, players such as Tilkal, Circulor or IBM Blockchain offer turnkey solutions, often as SaaS, suited to circular traceability. Grand Est Développement can also play a key role in identifying regional providers through its database of technology solution providers certified "Industry of the future", as well as in connecting companies with funding schemes suited to the digital transformation of manufacturers. Integrating such a system requires mobilising the purchasing department, the IT department, logistics operators and suppliers in order to collect the initial data. External support (a specialised IT consultancy certified "Industry of the future") is recommended, both for the choice of technology and for change management. The main effort concerns aligning data formats, training users and adapting quality procedures. The final deliverable is an operational system (ERP or blockchain interface) that traces material flows and makes it possible to export circularity indicators. This type of project makes it possible to better control sourcing, strengthen internal transparency and develop a commercial asset for customers and clients concerned with responsible purchasing.
Action 2: Creating a repair and refurbishment workshop, internal or shared between companies
Faced with growing sustainability challenges, manufacturers have every interest in embedding a repair or second-life logic within their own organisation. This may take the form of a workshop dedicated to refurbishing equipment, components or products, located in-house or shared between several companies in the same business area. This strategy not only reduces the costs associated with replacing equipment, but also limits waste, shortens supply chains and improves industrial resilience. To launch such a project, it is essential to carry out a prior assessment of the flows of products or equipment generating recurrent breakdowns or disposals. The workshop can be set up in a production space or a logistics facility, equipped with dismantling, testing and requalification tools. Recruiting or training specialised technicians is a key point. From an inter-company perspective, collaborations can be initiated through networks such as business clubs, chambers of commerce or approaches such as the functional and cooperative economy. It may also be wise to draw on work-integration structures or social economy players for certain tasks (cleaning, sorting, refurbishment). In terms of investment, the bulk rests on the initial equipment, the workforce and managing the return flow of parts. The workshop will be able to generate concrete indicators: reuse rate, reduction in purchases of new parts, carbon savings, etc. It becomes a visible lever for CSR initiatives and can in time evolve into a centre of technical expertise in the circular economy within the company or the region.
Action 3: Approving local suppliers against circular criteria
Faced with growing requirements regarding sustainable sourcing, manufacturers have every interest in rethinking their purchasing policy to incorporate criteria linked to circularity. This involves in particular approving local suppliers able to offer recycled or bio-based products, from reuse, bio-based, or from short supply chains. The CollECtif Grand Est network provides around a dozen directories of companies and solution providers relating to the circular economy. While this provides an initial basis, mapping work on regional suppliers can be undertaken with the support of the chambers of commerce, clusters and regional circular economy ecosystems. The approach requires building a scoring grid incorporating circularity criteria (e.g. proportion of recycled material, logistics distance, environmental certifications). Audits can be carried out at existing or new suppliers to validate their ability to meet these requirements. The Initiatives Durables network, bringing together more than 200 players committed to a more responsible economy, can provide a good starting point for identifying committed local suppliers. In addition, the association runs the EFC Grand Est club, which brings together the first regional companies to have undertaken a sustainable transformation of their business model through the lens of the functional and cooperative economy. They too constitute a good initial pool in which to look for committed suppliers. The EFC Grand Est club has also produced a first guide to help the Strasbourg Eurometropolis better incorporate the functional and cooperative economy into its purchasing practices. This work mobilises the purchasing, quality and logistics departments and can draw on existing databases such as the impact.gouv.fr platform, which enables companies to publish their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance data. The investment is mainly human, centred on analysis time and updating purchasing tools. This action helps to reduce the logistics footprint, strengthen resilience in the event of a supply crisis, and lend credibility to the manufacturer's environmental commitment, with an enriched supplier database, classified according to responsible purchasing criteria, as the deliverable.
Action 4: Setting up an internal training plan on eco-design practices
Eco-design is a strategic lever for reducing the environmental impact of products from the design stage. It does, however, require upskilling among R&D teams, design offices, product design and marketing. Setting up a structured training plan can draw on internal resources (engineers, quality) or on partnerships with schools such as INSA Strasbourg, ENSISA or the University of Lorraine. Modules can be designed as e-learning, delivered face-to-face or incorporated into R&D days. ADEME Grand Est, through its calls for projects or support schemes (in particular the eco-design diagnostic run by BPI France) can co-finance upskilling actions on eco-design and help structure a bespoke training pathway. There is also the MakCCIng durable pathway (funded by ADEME and the Region and operated by the chamber of commerce), which offers training in eco-design. The key themes concern life cycle assessment (LCA), the choice of materials, repairability, durability and product end of life. This training must be progressive, aligned with ongoing projects and supported by concrete sector-specific examples. Impact assessment tools (OpenLCA, Simapro, EIME, etc.) can be incorporated into the exercises. The budget is modest but must cover teaching resources, training design and dedicated time. The deliverable is an operational training module, potentially leading to certification. In time, this action strengthens product differentiation and compliance with future market requirements (e.g. the European product passport).
Action 5: Implementing a simplified life cycle assessment tool for the product range
To make progress on eco-design and prepare for future regulation, manufacturers must be able to measure the environmental impact of their products. Without necessarily going as far as a full LCA, which is often costly and complex, it is possible to set up a simplified assessment tool based on key factors (raw materials, manufacturing, transport, use, end of life). Tools such as Bilan Produit® (ADEME), or modules integrated into certain CAD software, make this approach possible. The tool can be built in-house with external methodological support, or fully outsourced to a specialised consultancy. This action involves the R&D, quality and marketing departments and requires structured collection of product data. The aim is to enable the company to guide its design choices, compare alternatives and have a credible environmental argument for its customers. A simplified LCA grid per flagship product or range becomes a useful deliverable for calls for tender, ecolabels or CSR initiatives.
Action 6: Creating an inter-company working group to pool circular purchasing
With a view to economies of scale and cost reduction, pooling purchasing between companies in the same region represents a significant opportunity. It makes it possible in particular to access secondary flows (recycled materials, industrial co-products), optimise logistics or negotiate green energy contracts jointly. To this end, manufacturers can set up a working group led by a coordinating body: the local chamber of commerce, Initiatives Durables, a competitiveness cluster or a business association (such as Pôle Textile Alsace or UIMM). This group can draw up an inventory of shared needs, analyse the available material streams through platforms such as INEX circular, and identify avenues for shared purchasing. The approach requires little financial investment but does require time for coordination, analysis and facilitation. It leads to concrete actions such as drafting joint specifications, launching a call for tender or signing multi-year contracts. In addition to improving environmental performance, this action strengthens the links between economic players in the region and collective resilience in the face of price rises or supply tensions.
Action 7: Strengthening customer communication on circular impact
In a context of ecological transition, customers - B2B or B2C - are paying increasing attention to the environmental impact of products. To respond to this, manufacturers can structure transparent communication focused on circular benefits: origin of materials, durability, recyclability, carbon footprint. This requires drawing on data from life cycle assessments (LCA), even simplified ones, and turning it into elements that are understandable for the customer (circular score, pictograms, product storytelling).
Implementing this strategy involves collaboration between: marketing for the content, the IT department for digital materials and updating product databases, sales for taking ownership of the messaging, and quality/environment for verifying the data communicated. It is also possible to draw on environmental communication providers or existing circular rating tools (for example the Eco Impact product score, or labels such as " Bio-based product ".
Communication materials can be rolled out quickly if the basic data is available. The main effort lies in standardising these elements in sales documentation, training sales staff in their use, and updating them continuously as products evolve. The expected deliverable is an enriched product sheet, with visual circular impact indicators (pictograms, score, short explanatory sentences), integrated into the CRM tool or the e-commerce site.
Action 8: Leading an inter-company project group on shared waste
In industrial areas, many companies produce similar waste without pooling it, resulting in unnecessary costs and low recovery rates. Creating a project group between neighbouring SMEs makes it possible to identify these common flows and organise collective management. This project can be led by a local company or by a third party such as a cluster, a chamber of commerce or a waste treatment authority. The Strasbourg Eurometropolis offers specific support for inter-company initiatives in the area, notably for facilitating circular industrial business areas or shared waste logistics. Initiatives Durables provides the facilitation. This type of project can find a framework and resources there.
The approach is based on regular meetings to map the types of waste, volumes, constraints and current treatment methods. From this analysis, companies can define logistics synergies (shared skips, joint collection rounds, pooled contracts). Simple tools such as a flow matrix or a waste exchange platform facilitate coordination.
The action requires little financial investment, but does require time for facilitation, data exchange and negotiation. It leads to a formalised joint recovery agreement, together with a clear logistics plan. This dynamic makes it possible to reduce costs, create local value and set companies on a path of collaborative circularity.
Action 9: Rolling out reverse logistics loops for material or product returns
In a circular system, it is essential to organise the recovery of end-of-life products or reusable materials. This involves designing so-called "reverse" logistics: collection, sorting, return, reintegration. This system can be handled in-house or entrusted to a specialised provider. It requires a mapping of return flows (customers, sites, after-sales service), material return protocols and suitable logistics resources (reusable bins, dedicated pallets, geolocation solutions). In the Grand Est region, several players can support this approach. The COCCI network offers reverse logistics services. It is also worth exploring possible collaborations with Derichebourg Environnement or Paprec. This action also involves communicating with customers to structure the use of the loops and give value to the act of returning.
This action requires modest but targeted investment: acquiring suitable reuse containers (bins, pallet boxes, modular racks), logistics tracking or labelling software (product return traceability), and possibly fitting out a receiving/sorting area. The action also requires supporting internal change, notably through training. In terms of deliverables, the company must produce a mapping of return flows, a detailed reverse logistics plan (players, routes, frequencies, collection arrangements), and standardised protocols for sorting, checking and reintegrating products or materials. A monthly or quarterly dashboard recording the volumes collected and recovered makes it possible to monitor the performance of the loop, correct it and feed into CSR reports or extended producer responsibility obligations.
Action 10: Incorporating circular KPIs into the company's strategic management
Finally, to ensure that the circular economy is embedded sustainably within the company, it is crucial to incorporate specific indicators into management dashboards. These KPIs can cover different levels: % of recycled material used, product recyclability rate, % of certified suppliers, share of local purchasing, waste reduction, reuse rate, etc. Developing these indicators can draw on existing frameworks (AFNOR XP X30-901, ISO 14001, GRI).
The players mobilised for this action are mainly internal: general management, industrial management, QSE (Quality Safety Environment), management control, purchasing, IT and sometimes CSR. The support of a specialised consultancy can facilitate the initial structuring. Some chambers of commerce and clusters in the Grand Est region also offer support on measuring environmental impact and on circular indicators.
The investment is significant in terms of person-hours: existing data must be analysed and structured, teams trained in its use, and it must be incorporated into decision-making systems (dashboards, performance reviews). Adapting or developing modules in ERP software (Sage, SAP, Cegid) may entail costs, in particular for automating monitoring.
The expected deliverables include a formalised list of circular KPIs, prioritised according to the company's challenges, and a visual dashboard integrated into strategic or CSR management.
Once implemented, these indicators enable more coherent decision-making, the measurement of the progress achieved and the concrete demonstration of the efforts undertaken to stakeholders - particularly in public calls for tender or green financing processes. They also provide a valuable basis for preparing for future European regulatory obligations (CSRD directive, green taxonomy, product passport).