Aveyron: the rebirth of a valley

Nestled deep in a valley in northern Aveyron, a company is bearing the hopes of a new strategic industry . €14 million was invested last year, and the equipment has a futuristic feel, like masks that protect employees from toxic dust and gases. Here, all the batteries from our everyday objects are recycled. After being heated to 400 degrees in prototype furnaces, the cooled battery scraps are sent to a crusher. Upon exiting, the metals are sorted into large bags according to their type.

By 2031, Europe will require the use of recycled metals in new batteries, a boon for the region, hit by decades of deindustrialization. Several coal mines closed in the late 1960s, or the steel industry shut down 20 years later. The company has 150 employees, all on permanent contracts; there are no temporary workers. But the industry, which benefits from the latest technologies, is not without risk. It is classified as a high-threshold Seveso and must manage the ever-sensitive storage of batteries.

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