“Transforming agriculture, consumption and business for good” is our mission. And we put all our heart into achieving it. Now that we have detailed how agriculture can be transformed to serve good , let's dig into the second point.
How can we transform consumption and put it at the service of good? It's a nice challenge. And when it comes to changing the world, at Oé, we roll up our sleeves and get to work. Because transforming consumption involves many things!
Oé, but how to consume well?
To start at the beginning, what is consumption? You have 4 hours. According to a very serious source (a dictionary) consumption is defined as the use of goods and services that can only be used by quickly destroying them (non-durable goods) or transforming them (durable goods).
So we see that there are two main ways of consuming: by destroying (oh no) or by transforming (our ultimate goal!).
Consuming responsibly means asking the right questions before buying. Do you know the BISOU method?
You are not asked to kiss someone before each of your purchases but to think about the meaning of each letter of this word.
B for Need , what need does this purchase meet?
The I for Immediate , can I wait a few days to decide?
The S for Similar , do I already have an object that has this utility?
The O for Origin , where does this product come from?
And U for Useful , does this object bring me essential comfort?
This BISOU method is perfect for saving the planet and your wallet!
Adopting habits that are more sustainable for the planet is about more than food. We can also make the best choices regarding the energy we use, transport, everyday consumer products, digital technology, finance, etc.
Consume well at Oé
At Oé, we are committed to consuming the best possible for each of our needs.
In terms of energy, we use Enercoop , a French supplier of electricity from renewable sources. At Enercoop, electricity is guaranteed to be 100% renewable thanks to direct supply from more than 350 producers throughout France.
Their energy producers use exclusively renewable sources: water, wind, sun, biomass.
In addition to sourcing responsibly, we consume this energy as a rare commodity. We turn off the power every night, we don't overheat (I'm writing to you right now with a candle in front of me to warm my hands), we unplug our devices when they're not in use... just as many small actions, which, assembled one by one, make the difference.
On the transport side, we opted for a method that allows us to build muscle, warm us up and take care of our planet. I name the beautiful, the famous… bicycle ! In the team, many of us come to work by bike, regardless of the weather and the distance, it allows us to wake up in the morning, to decompress in the evening, it's a real moment for ourselves.
As for digital, we only buy second-hand, refurbished . The best way to do better would be not to have a computer but we need it to continue our awareness around our commitments;).
Finally, on the financial side, we chose a bank that is a little different from all the big traditional banks that finance projects that are not great for the environment. We are proud to be able to finance sustainable, responsible projects thanks to our bank: La Nef .
La Nef defends sound and transparent finance by only financing projects with ecological, social or cultural added value.
There are also ethical neobanks like Hélios and Green Got , two young French banks that offer total transparency to their customers.
Finally, for our meals, we favor local and seasonal products. Every week, we receive Non-Standards baskets that save excess fruit and vegetables, or that do not meet store standards. We limit the purchase of meat, some of us have even stopped eating it.
We buy Symples returnable drinks for the team, good products from Superproducteur and delicious cream puffs from the local bakery.
Whether at work or in our personal lives, we favor short consumption circuits.
Why is consumption included in our mission?
We have chosen to integrate consumption within our mission to develop consumption in the service of good. Because forgetting it would be too easy, changing consumption habits is a real challenge.
At Oé we are fully committed to developing reuse. We are very proud to be the first wine brand to have given the deposit . Being the first is good, but inevitably it is more difficult. And our desire is to democratize this subject so that reuse becomes simple on a national scale.
We are very happy to change the codes, but the work necessary to put in place all the logistics flows concerning the bottles is a real headache!
To facilitate all this, we are banking on the massification of the deposit network by making all companies aware of using reuse instead of constantly throwing away and reproducing. We can thank Mathilde who fights every day to develop the deposit on a larger scale.
Glass can be recycled. Yes, but already, recyclable does not necessarily mean recycled . In France , only 85% of glass was recycled in 2020. The remaining 15% was… buried. Yes yes…
And to make a new bottle, not all the glass is recycled. For transparent bottles, there is 70% new raw material and 25% for green bottles. All of this makes us think… In addition, ovens run day and night to melt the glass for recycling, which has an impact on the environment.
R e-use is at the heart of our mission at Oé. To reuse, it is necessary to change mentalities and production habits. For example, labels should be easy to peel off with a water-soluble glue that allows them to be easily removed with water.
In addition to the ecological advantage, reusing a bottle has recently become economically beneficial . Raw materials are becoming increasingly scarce, largely due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Europe is in shortage of bottles and it is becoming more and more difficult to find containers.
The solution: put the deposit back in place on a large scale. That's good, that's what we're working on with the team!
You know why we chose to integrate consumption into our mission. If everyone changes the way they consume and see things, we can repeat this famous sentence from 1969: it's a small step for man, a big step for humanity 🚀
