2023-05-16 09:07:41
Three years ago, at Useo, in Chilleurs-aux-Bois (Loiret), single-use plastic was king. This family business, which manufactures disposable tableware for most major fast food chains and the transport sector, produced cutlery or plastic containers that ended up in the trash as soon as they were used.
With the arrival of legislation prohibiting these products, it invested 15 million euros to rethink its production from A to Z, expand the factory, preserve the activity and retain its customers and staff. No more plastic injection. The company, which benefits from the support of Bpifrance, has developed a new process based on cellulose, produced in Limousin from French forests.
Washable and reusable products
The material is diluted, molded and coated to remain waterproof and to be able to be heated. The new lines produce trays and cup lids. The factory also continues to manufacture cutlery kits – 750,000 per day – but the knives, forks and spoons are now made of wood, imported from Ukraine. “The objective here is also to switch to cellulose within a few years”, specifies the president Jean-Louis Revel.
However, Useo has not completely denied plastic. In its Polish unit, the company now manufactures washable and reusable products, such as cones of fries, or glasses, developed in particular for fast food.
With 55 million euros in turnover, the company, which employs 230 people, including a third in Chilleurs-aux-Bois, returned last year to its level before the health crisis. It now aims to win new customers and has just responded to a major international call for tenders from Delta Airlines.
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