Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Eco-home and the circularity of DIY and garden products
Ecomaison presents itself as an accredited eco-organization tasked with supporting manufacturers in managing the end-of-life of household equipment. Beyond regulatory obligations, its work aims to develop concrete solutions to prevent waste, extend product lifespan, promote reuse, and strengthen recycling. Here's a look at the main initiatives and projects undertaken by the organization in the DIY and gardening sectors.
Who is Ecomaison? Missions and key figures
Created on the model of a private, non-profit eco-organization, Ecomaison is accredited in several Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) sectors: furniture, toys, building materials, and DIY and gardening supplies. Ecomaison manages a network of over 12,000 collection points accessible in mainland France and its overseas territories, enabling it to process approximately 2 million tons of collected used products, primarily from the furniture sector, with a recovery rate exceeding 97%. Its role is twofold: to ensure regulatory compliance for producers and to develop operational initiatives for circularity.
DIY-Gardening products covered
In the world of DIY and gardening, Ecomaison handles a wide range of non-electric and non-motorized equipment: hand tools, containers (pots, buckets), garden sheds, barbecues, chicken coops, pergolas, tarpaulins, nets, personal protective equipment for DIY enthusiasts and gardeners, etc. Certain specific categories (e.g., painter's tools, thermal machines) fall under other eco-organizations, but Ecomaison covers the majority of non-electric items and accessories, generating a wide variety of materials and recycling opportunities.
Financing and incentives: eco-contribution, bonuses and discounts
The eco-contribution collected by Ecomaison funds the collection, reuse, repair, and recycling of waste, as well as support for local partners and social and solidarity economy (SSE) actors. Approximately 93% of the funds are used for field operations, while a dedicated portion is allocated to communication activities and research and development through innovation support. Mechanisms for adjusting the eco-contribution and offering bonuses encourage manufacturers to improve repairability, incorporate recycled materials, or source sustainable materials. A discount reduces the contribution base for producers who organize their own collection programs for recycling, recovery, or reuse.
Prevention and extension of lifespan
Prevention involves, in particular, actions funded through a mandatory repair fund that finances consumer "Repair Bonuses" designed to encourage the refurbishment of equipment and thus extend its lifespan. In the DIY and gardening sector, bonuses already exist for tool sharpening and for the repair of barbecues and parasols by certified repairers. Ecomaison supports the certification of repairers and seeks opportunities to extend these programs to other products with a significant volume of out-of-warranty repairs carried out by professionals: manufacturers, craftspeople, distributors, social economy enterprises, etc.
Reuse and support for the social and solidarity economy
The reuse fund provides financial and operational support to over 700 registered social and solidarity economy (SSE) partners. For DIY and garden equipment entrusted to these organizations, the observed reuse rate exceeds 70%. Ecomaison facilitates the creation of "second life" zones in stores, provides reuse containers, and funds organizations based on the tonnage reused. A new initiative for 2026: a hybrid call for projects, aimed at joint initiatives between retailers and SSE organizations, will be launched in the second quarter to finance and expand reuse initiatives.
Recycling and innovation projects
Wood and metal recycling is well-established, but Ecomaison is investing to improve the recovery of plastics and inert materials. The organization offers a platform connecting suppliers of recycled materials with manufacturers and supports cross-sector R&D projects. Among its achievements are the integration of recycled polypropylene into toys and garden furniture, the transformation of mattress foam into shoe soles, the use of duvet remnants in clothing presented at Fashion Week 2024, and experiments on the recovery of post-consumer garden hoses. Chemical recycling also enables the production of reusable polyols for other sectors. Several projects are still in the experimental phase, with results being communicated progressively.
Conclusion
Ecomaison acts as an interface between manufacturers, distributors, associations, collection and recycling stakeholders, and research centers to accelerate the transition to a circular economy for DIY and garden products. The organization combines financial incentives, operational support, and material innovations to maximize reuse and recycling.
For more information, contact Sandra Bravard (Brico-Jardin sector manager) or Paul-Henri Sénéchal (key account contact).