one company recycles all vehicles, even electric ones

A new company dedicated to the recycling of electric vehicles will see the light of day this year in Gaillac, located in the heart of the industrial complex belonging to the Surplus Recycling group. The latter, founded by Laurent Hérail, has specialized for more than 15 years in the handling, dismantling and recycling of all types of vehicles, whether cars, trucks or heavy trucks.

“Proplus Recycling” group has been specializing in end-of-life vehicle (EVH) recycling for more than 15 years. create “GSR Energies” at Gaillac this year, a new company dedicated to the management, treatment and, of course, recycling of electric vehicles, which have more sophisticated technologies than those found in older cars. “These vehicles are highly connected and require the creation of new processes give electronic parts a second lifefor example,” explains Laurent Hérail, founding president of the group.

When it comes to batteries, where recycling is hotly debated, the CEO says there are solutions like batteries. their reuse for other purposes. Indeed, he explains, electric cars don’t actually consume only 20% battery performance. So when they are replaced, the remaining 80% is unused. “We can therefore legally consider reuse in, for example, the wind or photovoltaic sector,” he said.

A group specializing in vehicle recycling…

Laurent Hérail, a bodybuilder by trade, created the Surplus Recycling group in 2005 by taking over an existing car junkyard in Castres, which quickly became Surplus Autos. As soon as this first company was founded specializes in end-of-life vehicle recycling (ELV) weighs less than 3.5 tons. Laurent Hérail has what we call talent. “Back in the 2000s, the European directive required 95% of ELVs to be retrofitted. I felt that other laws will also go…” he said. Three years later, he got it New buildings in Toulouse, then in Albi, to develop their business there. The customers are there.

… motorcycles and trucks

The entrepreneur’s environmental sensibility prompts him to go a little further. “There were already recycling solutions for cars under 3.5 tonnes. But nothing for motorcycles or trucks Recalls Laurent Hérail, who in 2010 decided to take charge of motorized two or three-wheelers, quads and vehicles without a license by creating a second company: Surplus Motos.

Later, in 2018, he founded the company “Profis Industries”. specializes in heavy truck recovery and recyclingincluding industrial and agricultural vehicles and those in the construction and public works (C&P) sector.

Inauguration of a large industrial vehicle recycling complex in Gaillac

All these companies are now united in one organization a huge industrial complex located in the heart of the vineyards gaillacoises. The last one was launched in October 2022. Recovery vehicles come and go in the parking lots of warehouses spread over an area of ​​about thirty hectares. “Each company has its own recycling plant because their operations are completely different. We don’t recycle a motorcycle like we recycle a truck Laurent Hérail insists.

They all have the same goal: restore and restore parts taken from end-of-life vehicles. “The latter are repaired, cleaned, inspected, certified, and then guaranteed for two years. That’s more than new parts (about a year). And they work very well. This year we broke the record for “returning parts to after-sales service”. Less than 2% failure. It is much cheaper than we have it new. I am very proud of it,” says the president of the group.

Repair of second-hand cars

Another hangar on the industrial site is dedicated to the fourth company of the Surplus Recycling group. It is specialized repairing damaged cars using spare parts reuse, it is called “GSR Repair”. “The goal is to give a second life to cars that can still be repaired. For this, we use more than 30% of the parts we take from end-of-life cars, motorcycles and trucks. This is huge, because in France the rate of use of spare parts is almost 4%”, – proudly explains the founder of the group.

In 2022, 24,000 cars will be driven

Surplus Autos has a processing capacity of 35,000 cars per year. Over Motos, 10,000 and Proflus Industries, 15,000. in 2022, 24,000 vehicles, all types combined, It went into the hands of the experts of the Surplus Recyclage group (hence one third of the processing power). Suffice it to say that there are people at the Gaillac industrial site. More than 200 employees in total.

“Apart from personal and professional, most of the vehicles we buy sent to us by insurance companies, for example, after an accident. Supermarkets pick them up, put them in the fleet and we take care of their collection, “explains Laurent Hérail. The entrepreneur even created a fifth company specializing in the management and management of end-of-life vehicles a year ago: GSR Logistics is equipped with approximately thirty recovery vehicles covering the greater southwest.

Sending raw materials to special channels

Tested and repaired parts that are still usable are either reused by GSR Repair teams or sold in the store individuals adjacent to factories or on each company’s website (Automobile, Motorcycle, Industrial) and above all professionals.

The remaining parts are sorted by type of materials. “We store raw materials, be it metal, aluminum, copper, iron or plastic. It means more 1000 tons per year. Then each of them is sent specialized recycling channels “Says Laurent Hérail. In total, the Surplus Recycling group’s employees enable the recycling of more than 97% of end-of-life vehicle components. “Tyres are used for sports fields, storage basins, scrap metal and sheet metal recycling…” The remaining 3% are materials that do not yet fit into any recycling sector.