A new life for unused medical equipment

• Author: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission)
• Pages: 36-37

SOCIAL INNOVATION: INSPIRATIONAL PRACTICES

SUPPORTING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES

36

©Credit/Envie Autonomie, 2019

Equipment collected by Envie Autonomie ready for repair and sanitisation before sale or rent

Problem addressed

In France, expenditure on health for people with disabilities

is high and has increased by EUR 13.5 billion since 2005.

Despite this increase in public health spending, individuals

with disabilities in France spend a substantial amount on

medical equipment – EUR 1.4 billion in 2013 alone. At the

same time, a large amount of viable medical equipment

is abandoned every year and goes to waste.

Innovative solution

Run by the Envie network, Envie Autonomie recovers,

recycles and reuses old medical equipment in order to

lower expenses for disabled people. The innovative aspect

lies in the fact that it of‌fers employment opportunities to

vulnerable people in the process.

The Envie network is made up of 50 companies that are

committed to social inclusion. The companies collectively

employ 2 500 people under the Envie Autonomie project.

These employees were previously either in a precarious

work situation or long-term unemployed. They f‌ind and

collect medical equipment that is no longer wanted, sort

through it and restore it. The equipment can then be

rented or purchased by anyone who needs it at a cost

that is between 50% and 70% cheaper than the cost of

purchasing new equipment.

Envie Autonomie also supports people with disabilities

to access the equipment. It provides loans and f‌inancial

services if needed and of‌fers technical assistance for the

delivery and installation of equipment.

Key results and benef‌its

Since 2015, the project has hired 50 full-time employees

and 2 450 employees on a temporary basis. It has collected

14 000 medical items and equipped 2 200 individuals

with 2 500 refurbished materials. The project is enabling

vulnerable people who have had trouble accessing full-

time and stable work to gain marketable, specialised skills

A new life for unused medical equipment

Envie Autonomie

France