15,000 Parisians revitalised at the “Fête de la récup”

Published 7 April 2015 by Nicolas Barrial

Resounding success for the “Fête de la récup” (Reuse party) this weekend in Paris. Some 15,000 curious people, solidarity-based players and makers participated in the recycling centre workshops of the outer suburbs. Photo gallery.

The “Réseau francilien des acteurs du réemploi (Refer)” – the network of actors for reuse from the île-de-France region – chose the “Halle des Blancs Manteaux” as a venue for the “Fête de la récup” on the 4th and 5th of April. Thirteen recycling and recovery centres such as la Collecterie de Montreuil or the Maison du Canal have committed to lend their volunteers to lead fashioning and repair workshops. Hackerspaces like Usinette or the Blackloop (temporary union of Loop and Blackboxe) were also well represented and introduced people from all ages to tinkering. The organisers, Aurélien Furet and Martin Bobel, claim there were between 15,000 and 20,000 visitors, a record for this type of event in Paris.

Roaming with pictures in throw-nothing-away country

With its bargains in the centre and its workshops around them, the party was busy throughout the day.

Electrocycle: the reuse workshop of the electric and electronic equipment waste (3EW)

Ariel Martín Pérez and Cyril Desmidt and the motor of a DVD, main victim of the absurd Robots workshop.

On the fly fabrication of an absurd Robot.

Electrocycle website

Ariel Martín Pérez’s website

Usinette and La Petite Rockette: a virtuous circuit for 3D printing

Martin Vert and his recycling machine: « It’s a pipe defrosting device that heats plastic. »

Usinette website

La Petite Rockette website

Data Paulette: mum’s knitting machine relives with an Arduino

Audrey Briot, from the Data Paulette hackerspace, and her knitted selfies.

The webcam allows you to send the patterns into the knitting machine.

Data Paulette website

Audrey Briot’s website

Mitch Altman, the DIY humanist on a crusade against television

Big success around the American star of the party, Mitch Altman, and his fabrication workshop for a universal remote control to switch off any television, TV B Gone (read also our DIY).