SUEZ Invests in Purple Alternative Surface to Scale Up Plastic Recycling for Sustainable Paving Solutions

SUEZ Invests in Purple Alternative Surface to Scale Up Plastic Recycling for Sustainable Paving Solutions

(IN BRIEF) SUEZ has made a strategic investment in French start-up Purple Alternative Surface, aiming to expand its production of permeable paving solutions made from non-recycled plastic waste. With SUEZ’s support, Purple will increase its production capacity to 200,000 m² per year, boosting its ability to create eco-friendly pavements for parking lots and public spaces. The partnership also includes a project to recycle wind turbine blades, further advancing the circular economy. Purple has already completed 10,000 m² of projects in 2024, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and soil sealing.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARIS, 16-Sep-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — SUEZ Group, a French multinational company with over 160 years of expertise in water and waste management, has announced a strategic investment in French start-up Purple Alternative Surface, a pioneer in plastic recycling. This partnership aims to accelerate Purple’s production of permeable paving solutions made from non-recycled plastic waste, which are used for parking lots and other surfaces. With SUEZ’s backing, Purple plans to expand its production capacity to 200,000 m² per year, the equivalent of 400 parking lots, marking a 20-fold increase from its current output.

The collaboration aligns with SUEZ’s commitment to fostering innovation in the environmental sector through its Venture Capital arm, which has invested €80 million in startups to date. Purple Alternative Surface, founded in 2020, offers a unique solution to the construction industry by turning plastic waste into modular, water-permeable pavements that help reduce soil sealing and greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2024, the company has already delivered 10,000 m² of paving for projects with local authorities and major clients in retail and public works. The partnership has also led to an ambitious project to recycle wind turbine blades, using SUEZ’s expertise in dismantling and Purple’s technology to repurpose composite materials for paving production, supporting the energy transition and reinforcing circular economy practices.

Pierre Quinonero, Purple Alternative Surface Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are excited about this alliance with SUEZ, a leading player in the field of the circular economy and waste management. This partnership is an important milestone for Purple Alternative Surface, as it will allow us to accelerate our development and significantly increase our production capacity. Together, we want to turn plastic waste into a valuable resource and contribute to more sustainable floor management through our innovative permeable surfacing solutions.
Thanks to the expertise and support of SUEZ, we will be able to deploy our unique technology for recycling unrecycled plastic waste on a large scale, while maximizing our positive environmental impact. By combining our strengths, we are responding to today’s environmental challenges and demonstrating that innovation can be a powerful lever for a greener, more resilient economy.”

Jérôme Bailly, SUEZ Senior Vice President Innovation, added: “We are delighted to support the development of Purple Alternative Surface. This collaboration is part of our Open Innovation approach, creating synergies between SUEZ and startups in the water and waste sectors, for the benefit of our customers and the environment. Together, we will locally recycle plastic waste into slabs that will allow soil to be desoiled, thus helping to preserve water resources. Purple Alternative Surface’s technology meets SUEZ’s raison d’être: to develop innovative and resilient solutions for better recycling of complex materials that are essential to the energy transition“.

About SUEZ
Faced with growing environmental challenges, SUEZ has been delivering essential services that protect and improve our quality of life for more than 160 years. SUEZ provides its customers with innovative and resilient solutions for water and waste services. With 40,000 employees across 40 countries, the Group works with customers to create value over the full lifecycle of their assets and services, and to drive their low carbon transition. In 2023, SUEZ provided drinking water for 57 million people worldwide and sanitation services for more than 36 million people. The Group generated 7.7 TWh of energy from waste and wastewater. In 2023, SUEZ generated revenues of 8.9 billion euros. For more information:
www.suez.com / X @suez / LinkedIn @SUEZ.

About Purple Alternative Surface: www.purplealternativesurface.com

Media contact:

suez.media@suez.com
+33 (0)6 32 18 39 54

SOURCE: SUEZ Group