• In the heart of the Duchère, the Recyclerie sportive association gives a second life to sports equipment resulting from donations or unsold items.

  • The place, which also includes a participatory bicycle repair workshop, wants to facilitate access to sport for the most modest budgets.

  • Zero waste awareness workshops will be followed by new initiatives, to continue to create links in the neighborhood and beyond.

Do you prefer judo or skating? Boxing or archery? Are you itching for tennis, the growing little one needs a change of crampons, and your back would appreciate a bit of weight training? So many investments in sports equipment, which will end up in the back of a closet when you have preferred rugby, tennis or the sofa ... By force, the abandoned equipment accumulates when it could be used for others. It is with this in mind that the Recyclerie sportive opened at the start of the school year, in two large shops in the Duchère district, in Lyon.

"Here, we reuse sports equipment, whatever the sport, and there is a lot of it", rejoices Alexandra Pinto, manager of the place.

“We collect it either from specialized distributors or from individuals, who can send us their business.

»The store, redesigned according to arrivals, presents rackets, shoes, clothing, from the golf club to the weight bench.

All in very good condition, even new, and of course at a low price.

Strong local demand

In La Duchère, "people have less means than in other districts, and the practice of sport should not be hampered by the financial aspect", continues Alexandra Pinto. All the more so in a neighborhood that is unfortunately more famous for its delinquency than for its real sporting potential. “La Duchère has more sports facilities than elsewhere: the swimming pool, the football stadiums, the athletics hall, the gymnasium…” explains the manager of the association.

Objects that the two employees and volunteers cannot put back on sale, such as bicycle helmets or climbing ropes, are reused to make baskets, rugs and bracelets during creative workshops. “We offer awareness-raising events on zero waste in sport. It's endless what you can do with an inner tube! Ultimately, we would like to sell these items in stores. "

La Recyclerie works by membership: 5 euros per year to be able to buy in store.

The majority of members are residents of the neighborhood who regularly pass for the prices of the association: children's bikes and combat sports are in great demand.

But also for its other part: a cycle repair workshop, or rather "co-repair": "We teach the customer to repair his bike, by making the tools available.

We also want to pass on knowledge, invite people to take more care of their bikes ”… and thus avoid overconsumption.

A place of life to create links

Very quickly, the sustainable development initiative became a living space for the neighborhood. The light-flooded mezzanine above the workshop hosts yoga classes, twice a week at lunchtime, at an affordable price. “We offer a dynamic yoga niche, and a soft yoga niche where older people come: which brings us a really varied audience, who can meet,” says Alexandra Pinto. Recently, a space was made available to set up an AMAP, “with, again, the idea of ​​creating links. "

The official inauguration will take place on November 17, in the presence of elected officials who support the project: last month, the Sports Recycling Center won a call for projects on waste reduction organized by the metropolis of Lyon.

Hoping to unite enough to increase its workforce, and share its team spirit more widely.

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  • Recycling

  • Lyon

  • La Duchère

  • Sport

  • Equipment

  • Association

  • Society

  • Sustainable development