Here, everyday objects and panels

HERE, in the Bay of the Somme, thoughts are focused on how to make the most of the large deposit of mussels, scallops and cockles. 550 tons of mussels recovered each year in restaurants and 460 tons of scallops in fish shops, that's not insignificant!

"Within the framework of a study carried out by the Baie de Somme 3 Vallées, initial collection tests have proved conclusive, while the area has approached the Lille-based company EtNISI, which is designing a new biosourced material called Wasterial®", explains Laurent Leblond, deputy head of the waste management department at the Baie de Somme Urban Community.

Composed of 75% recycled products and used to make everyday objects, Wasterial® will soon find another use in the Regional Natural Park. It will thus form the basis of the information and interpretation panels of the point-node cycle network, which is due to be rolled out gradually. Produced from the spring of 2021, these panels will combine the innovative material with the know-how of the Vimeu ironworks and a design that blends into the landscape.

 To be part of a virtuous loop and be close to the resource, EtNISI plans to set up a production site in a bay. And even if several questions remain unanswered, the will is there to collect shell waste on site to metamorphose it into tiles, home accessories or interpretive furniture.

Elsewhere, eco-pavés and sea glasses

Elsewhere in France, the stage of studies and projections is over. For example, ESITC's engineering school in Caen has developed a shell-concrete that recycles shellfish waste and makes it possible to manufacture draining eco-paving stones that remain dry in rainy weather.

 More glamorous is the initiative of Friendly Frenchy, a young, committed Breton brand that makes spectacle frames from recycled marine products. Oysters, mussels, scallops or clams are thus transformed into around thirty models called "L'Huître Cancale" or "La Pêche à pied palourde".

 "Friendly Frenchy has developed its own sector, between waste collection on the French coast, recovery and 100% French production. On the strength of this experience, we are working on new projects, always with a responsible and sustainable approach aimed at enhancing the value of resources from fishing. We are also preparing a prototype based on shells from the Bay of the Somme" announces Laurent Pezé, founder of the brand and partner.

In the meantime, in the spring of 2021, Friendly Frenchy will release two models of glasses launched in partnership with Vélomaritime®, with the identity of this cycle route linking Dunkirk to Roscoff, via the Bay of the Somme. Gentle cycling by the sea, shell glasses on the nose, the circle is complete!