The “Jaren” kettle, from the Toulouse-based Kippit company, was designed to last a lifetime, thanks to its infinitely changeable and recyclable parts. – Kippit
- A young Toulouse company has embarked on the manufacture of sustainable household appliances, the antithesis of planned obsolescence.
- Their first product, a multifunction kettle called “Jaren”, is infinitely repairable, upgradeable and produced in France. It will be followed by a sustainable toaster.
- The first kettles, which are having some success with those who want to “consume differently”, will be delivered in early summer.
Who has not railed against his washing machine, broke down only five years after buying it, just after the end of the warranty period. And impossible to repair, if not at such an exorbitant price that it seems more logical to replace it. This mishap, Kareen Maya Levy experienced it, like many French people. It clicked. “The start of a reflection on obsolescence. We design products, less expensive, so that it cannot be repaired, ”explains the one who ran a polling institute a few years ago. The idea of Kippit, a company that produces sustainable household appliances, and whose parts can be changed ad vitam aeternam, was born.
With her partner at the time, Jacques Ravinet, she decided to embark on this new adventure from Toulouse, to “give meaning to our projects”. After market research and interviewing many users, they decide to start their adventure by developing a multifunction stainless steel kettle. “Whether it costs 20 or 300 euros, on average it has a lifespan of four years. It is the disposable product par excellence ”, suggests the president of the young Toulouse company whose name refers to the English term“ keep it ”,“ keep it ”.
Called “Jaren”, this kettle can be easily dismantled, even by the less DIY enthusiast, all the parts are standard and the instructions are open source to guarantee everyone the possibility of repairing it for life. The ambition is to bring up to date the famous slogan of a brand, which 40 years ago praised the merits of its products “built to last”. A slogan that has been lost with the consumer and disposable society.
Go from five devices to one
“We are dealing with the issue of waste and end of life. But if we only used the Jaren to heat water, it was a bit of a waste, so we designed it in multi-function mode, ”explains Kareen Maya Levy, whose company employs six people.
In addition to its traditional role, thanks to its baskets and accessories, it can also cook pasta, eggs, steamed vegetables, heat in a bain-marie, including baby bottles and turn into a teapot. These functions have been designed from the outset and are made possible by adjusting the temperature and the heating time. They will also be scalable and adaptable over the years to change design. Or how to go from five devices to one.
A new way of thinking that has attracted many followers of “consume differently”. To launch it, Kippit managers organized a crowdfunding campaign on the Ulule platform last year, with a pre-order system. The enthusiasm was such that they recorded more than 1,100 orders, since completed by 800 others on their website, sold from 199 to 283 euros depending on the accessories.
A first contact with those who constitute from the community of “kippeurs”, with whom the exchanges make it possible to see which will be the products to be developed tomorrow for example. “There are those who are attached to the sustainability of the product, others who are fervent defenders of made in France”, explains Jacques Ravinet, the co-founder of Kippit.
Made in France inclusive
In the new premises of the company, in the heart of the Arnaud-Bernard district, he is putting the finishing touches to the first kettles, which will be delivered at the beginning of the summer. With a delay due to the coronavirus crisis and tension on the commodity market. If the tank is produced near Grenoble, the plastic in Occitania, it is for the moment assembled in the premises of YMCA, in Colomiers, a company for the integration of people with disabilities.
“In the long term, we will create our own production room in Toulouse and its trained employees will come to work with us”, projects Jacques Ravinet. The goal is to produce 10,000 Jaren this year, and double the next. Before moving on to the manufacture of the future sustainable toaster, which will not be satisfied with this single function. Guaranteed to last a lifetime, it should also make pancakes or croque-monsieur.