Will the Chapelle Darblay factory in Grand-Couronne continue to recycle paper into newsprint? That’s the whole question, eight months before the eventual dismantling of the site. Employees must find a buyer before June 2021otherwise, the history of stationery will be definitely over.
The plant has in fact been put up for sale for a year by its Finnish owner UPM and no buyer was found. The activity was therefore stopped there last July and more than 200 people were made redundant.. There are only about ten left today, including nine in charge of machine maintenance.
A delegation of organizations and associations – including representatives of Greenpeace, Attac, CGT, including Philippe Martinez, or even Oxfam, with former minister Cécile Duflot – visited the site this Friday to support employees and participate in a conference on their future. It should also be noted that the prefecture of Seine-Maritime has announced that it has agreed to support Business France’s efforts to generate interest and find a buyer, in France and abroad.
We have made every effort to ensure that, if a buyer arrives, he can restart quickly.
In the factory, therefore, all that remains as noise is a permanent blower. “What we hear around us, compressed air, shows that the machines remain ventilated, under power, and this is the best guarantee for us that they are in the best possible condition for 2021, while waiting for find buyers “, explains Arnaud Dauxerre, representative of executives.
Today, “we have made every effort so that, if a buyer arrives, he can restart quickly”, specifies Antoine Brindel, former finishing operator and elected CGT.
A planned production change
But this almost immediate recovery is only valid if production remains more or less the same. Gold, other avenues are being considered. “The conclusions of the technical study made it possible to identify new applications, both in packaging – for example with the production of corrugated paper – but also in the production of commercial pulp for sanitary papers, 100% recycled ream, molded cellulose or even the production of wadding for insulation “, lists Arnaud Dauxerre. La Chapelle Darbley’s machines are able to carry out these productions, but they would have to be adapted and this requires a significant investment.
But there is indeed “several opportunities on the site so we are open to any proposal and we will fight so that the projects can succeed“, emphasizes Antoine Brindel. Employees and former employees call for more support from the government to achieve their goals, i.e. find a serious buyer, “with strong shoulders”.
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