“I thought I had eight pairs of shoes… I had 27,” smiles Laure Fabier. This engineer in the field of sustainable development, originally from the South West and mother of two children, is far from being the only one to underestimate the number of shoes buried in her closets. A great classic even if we believe the results of“Dare to change”experiment launched
the Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe).
From March to October, six “home organizers” – professionals in organization and tidying up, a brand new job* – entered 21 voluntary households to work with them to declutter their homes. Count for each of the families “five full days of work, spaced three weeks apart and with, between each appointment, work in autonomy for the participants”, describes
Mary Vegasone of six home organizers to have participated.
A clash between the estimate and the reality of our possessions
The experiment was therefore not reduced to hastily emptying the cupboards to put all the contents pell-mell in boxes and place them on the sidewalk. A first, tedious step was to list, sort and count these objects. “By focusing on six product categories,” says Pierre Gallio, head of the responsible consumption department at Ademe. Clothing and footwear, furniture, DIY, toys, sports equipment and electrical and electronic equipment. With, very often, a first shock of entry between the estimate and the reality of their possessions. On average, out of the 21 control households, the number of pairs of shoes estimated per adult was 16 instead of the 29 actually owned. But it’s not just about shoes. Clothing in general. “One of the people I accompanied thought she had three pairs of jeans, she had twelve,” illustrates Marie Végas.
Children, too, are deluded. Those of Laure Fabier thought they had between 20 and 25 stuffed animals between them. “It was actually double,” says the mother. As for screens (computers, televisions, smartphones, etc.), the differences are less significant, but still exist. Among the 21 homes of “Dare to change”, we go from twelve estimated to fourteen actually possessed. “We kept seven old telephones in a drawer, telling ourselves that they could one day be used by children,” says Laure Fabier.
“We rarely perceive our purchases as objects that will have to be stored”
If they can make people smile, these discrepancies increase our individual carbon footprints. And not just a little. In 2018, Ademe carried out several studies to calculate the environmental footprint of textiles, electrical and electronic goods, toys… “Not only did we realize that the environmental impacts of this equipment were far from being negligible, but that they were mainly generated during the manufacturing phase”, explains Pierre Galio. This makes their accumulation and/or frequent renewal far from negligible in the carbon footprint of the French.
This is the whole point of “Dare to change” in the eyes of Maud Herbertuniversity professor, specialized in Marketing and consumer culture at
IAE Lille and one of the researchers who coordinated the experiment. “Most of the time, our acts of purchase respond to a desire, a request, a promotion, she begins. It is very often thought of in the instantaneous, whether it is new or second hand. We rarely perceive our purchases as objects that will fit in our house and that we will have to store. By photographing our belongings, “we then realize that we have lost control over our possessions, that these goods are invading our living spaces”, she continues.
More than two tons of electrical and electronic devices donated
But the inventory is to be seen as “the gateway to the process”, repeat Pierre Gallio like Marie Végas. The next step was decluttering. “It was the theme of the third day of work which consisted in looking, for each of the families, at the possible options nearby to offer a second life to their goods which they considered to be too many, explains the “home organizer”. From donation to second-hand sale, through repair, upcycling [transformer un objet pour lui donner un autre usage], repair or recycling, but really as a last option. »
On average, during the operation, households separated from 31% of their objects, all categories combined, and 37% of their textiles (clothing and shoes), indicates Ademe. More than two tonnes of electrical and electronic devices were also donated, sold or sent to recycling channels. For her part, Laure Fabier says she gave away a lot of toys. “I had posted the accumulation that these formed on social networks and I was contacted by a friend who told me that her sister had just opened a house for childminders,” she says.
Questioning our consumption patterns for purpose
It remains to be seen whether the participants will continue their efforts and that they will permanently change their consumption habits. This is the purpose of “Dare to change”: that once decluttered, the cupboards do not fill up immediately. Not easy “while we are part of a model of society where the offer predominates and where advertising and marketing create sometimes artificial needs for us”, recalls Pierre Gallio.
This was the challenge of the last two days of work during which the participants had to make a list of commitments to be respected. While a little more than half concerned the pursuit of a sorting and decluttering process (tidying up, sorting, organizing the house, raising awareness about the operation), almost half concerned more responsible consumption and avoiding the purchase of new products, recognizes Ademe. Like “bring out an object for every object that enters the hearth”. For her part, Laure Fabier, who was already putting in place good practices (such as that of sewing up used clothes) said that she nevertheless realized that she sometimes bought very quickly, especially online. “Without always taking the time to reflect,” she explains. I will now systematically allow myself 24 hours of reflection before validating a basket, ”she says among her resolutions. “A good reflex, validates Maud Herbert who adds another, complementary one: “to wonder where we will be able to store this property that we are about to buy. »
A season 2 in the boxes?
Ademe will return to see these 21 households in a few months to take stock of the difficulties or not in sustaining these commitments. “Why not also launch a season 2? “, adds Pierre Gallio who would even see a good eye that the operation is the subject of a television program. “After all, there is already a whole series of them focused on personal accompaniments [relooking, achats d’un bien immobilier…] “, he recalls. This time, at least, it would go in the direction of ecological transition.