An idea that is the result of a long journey
Originally from the city of Marseille, Béatrice has always felt drawn to the marine environment. After an experience on the Tour de France sailing race, she spent a month and a half on a 39-foot Jeanneau, on which she took a long cruise from Port-Camargue to Israel.
She then moved into the real estate sector, where she spent more than 17 years. Then, during her first period of confinement, her authorized walking area included Marseille's Vieux Port. There, she took long strolls, observed the boats, and concentrated on their fenders and other defenses.
The vision is crystal clear. These bits of polymer used to protect boat hulls deserve to be recycled into lighting fixtures or decorative objects.
Collecting used fenders
In 2021, Béatrice set up the company and experimented with the material. The first results were convincing, and the transformed product found its clientele. All while doing something that makes sense for the environment.
But to produce, you need raw materials. Béatrice set up a collection network to recover used fenders. She signed agreements with harbormasters' offices to set up collection bins for yachtsmen, so that they would no longer dispose of their fenders in collective skips.
" A beater guard is not a recyclable object. At the end of its life, it is crushed or incinerated, and the remains are sent to landfill sites. Aper is also involved in the project, facilitating the recovery of pare battage from deconstructed boats. As my workshop is based in Marseille, most of my collection takes place on the Mediterranean coast, and I also have some fifteen partner ports in Brittany. As a result, I'm also looking to duplicate my production scheme with a second workshop on the tip of Brittany ".
A complete range
L'atelier Poupe offers a whole range of lighting fixtures, as well as trouser belts, coasters, tableware and small furniture. In addition to fenders, Béatrice also recovers fishing net floats, buoys and dock fenders. Made to order, her creations are destined both for private individuals and professionals such as hotels and distributors.
