A look back at our conversation with Eva Comble, Reuse Project Manager at EDF.
As companies become increasingly aware of the impact of their waste and the growing scarcity of resources, reuse is emerging as a solution that is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Honored at the Giverny – Le Point Awards, which honor 50 young leaders committed to ecological and social transformation, we met with Eva Comble, Reuse Project Manager at EDF, to discover how this practice is transforming the group and inspiring a cultural shift.
An encounter with innovation… from the inside
A nuclear engineer by training, Eva Comble has held various innovation roles at EDF, along with some entrepreneurial ventures outside the company. She quickly realized that her ideal playing field wasn’t entrepreneurship, but the company itself. “I quickly realized that I didn’t want to leave EDF and my colleagues”, she tells us, explaining that she preferred to make a difference from within.
In 2020, she founded the Rhizome collective, a group of employees committed to environmental causes. In an environment where collective intelligence is already valued, the initiative was well received. Two years later, Eva joined the CSR division as a reuse project manager, leading the Réutiliz platform, designed to give a second life to equipment that EDF no longer needs.
Réutiliz: giving materials a second chance
Réutiliz originally emerged from the frustration of some employees who saw equipment going unused because no one wanted it. Eva explains that the project naturally began at a nuclear power plant undergoing reconstruction in Isère (in Crémaville). At first, reusing materials was voluntary and required a considerable effort to find takers. Little by little, initiatives developed across different sectors (hydraulics, nuclear, services) but in a fragmented manner. Réutiliz’s primary goal was then to centralize these efforts and enable everyone—whether an employee or a partner — to reuse equipment safely.
Today, the platform features over 2,000 listings, making it easier to identify reusable products within the group while also offering external buyers products at lower costs (only high-value-added equipment is sold; the rest is donated). The platform also provides operational support to teams: a best-practices guide, secure contract management, and connections with external professionals.
Reuse, based on a three-pronged approach
Today, Réutiliz is built around three main pillars:
- Environmental: By 2024, Réutiliz had facilitated over 500 transactions, resulting in 22,000 reused items, representing 500 tons of materials and 9,000 tons of CO2 emissions avoided.
- Economic: over 3 million euros in new purchases avoided, and 100,000 euros generated through sales or donations to non-profits and training centers.
- Human: beyond the numbers, reuse creates jobs, values skills, and fosters a genuine connection between employees and the equipment — what Eva calls “a love for the machine.”
An ecosystem that still needs to be structured
For Eva, “there’s no point in EDF being the only one and the best; we need momentum and initiatives”. To develop reuse initiatives, EDF collaborates with other major companies, participates in trade shows, and shares best practices. The long-term goal is to build a coherent, regionally-based reuse sector capable of anticipating future regulatory requirements or resource constraints.
Reuse is not limited to collecting or listing equipment online. It involves changing practices, integrating reuse habits into deconstruction and procurement processes, and raising awareness among teams on the ground. Eva is convinced that the initiative’s proximity to employees (and to people in general) is essential to fostering lasting commitment.
She points out that the circular economy is not just an abstract concept: it is a matter of collective intelligence and cooperation, and a concrete way to return to a more responsible use of resources. Eva’s ultimate ambition would be to create a single platform that centralizes equipment listings from multiple companies, while maintaining each company’s ownership.
Conclusion
For young professionals, Eva recommends: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, but what makes you feel alive; and do that”. She also emphasizes the importance of being curious and taking an interest in what’s happening elsewhere, of experimenting, and of coming back with new ideas.
To hear the full conversation between Eva and Justine, tune in to Radio Circulab, available on all streaming platforms!
