Three eco stories from across France

A new job is born: the borniste

The boom in electric vehicle sales in France has given rise to a brand new job title – a borniste, the name given to an attendant at a service station who helps customers who may encounter difficulties recharging their battery.

Currently, bornistes are working at 85 service stations at weekends and during school holidays, with each, on average, recharging nearly 130 batteries on a busy day. Their role is reminiscent of the now largely defunct job of pompiste – those who pumped petrol for drivers.

When talking of such job creations, Thierry Dutilloy, Regional Manager for Auvergne Rhône-Alpes at TotalEnergies, told France Télévisions: “This helps to reassure motorists about electric recharging and, in particular, about the question of autonomy”.

Read also: What aid is available for electric cars and charging points in France?

In five years’ time, France is expected to have, at best guess, between 150,000 and 400,000 electric vehicle recharging points.

Deco de la mer

A designer based in Friaucourt, near the Picardy coast in the Somme department, is working wonders with waste from the sea.

Karine Vichery cleans and recycles driftwood, oyster bags and marine floats to make unique objects such as lamps and ornaments, which she sells under her brand ‘Déco Trèfle’. As well as selling to members of the public, she also counts restaurants, hotels and gîtes amongst her clients.

“It’s crazy to leave so much garbage on our beaches. What image are we giving to tourists, to children?,” she told Le Parisien. Recently, she received a national ‘Madame engagée’ award from the national network of trades and crafts chambers and was also awarded a Stars & Métiers ‘Grand prix responsable’ by the Hauts-de-France Chamber of Trades and Crafts.

You can browse and buy Karine’s latest creations. 

River heats Besançon

Local authorities in Besançon (Doubs), are digging deep to save money. 

A new geothermal heating system using water pumped up from the river Doubs water table 17metres below three municipal buildings (including the Théâtre Ledoux), is set to save them €20,000 a year in heating bills.

Read also: Wine in cardboard bottles hits French supermarkets