A visionary leader committed to reducing waste
Heir of the eleventh generation, Olivier Passot is running Revol, a bicentenary family-owned business with a very unique expertise in the manufacture of culinary porcelain in the South of France. Focusing largely on the Hospitality industry and working closely with Chefs, Olivier and his team attach great importance to craftsmanship, excellence and innovation.
In 2020, Revol revolutionized the tableware world by creating No.W (which stands for No Waste), the first eco-collection made from Recyclay (recycled clay in their slang), thus demonstrating its commitment to the planet.
Today Olivier Passot tells us more about this initiative and its environmental impact.
Welcome Olivier to Chefs for Impact!
“The Future of Tableware starts No.W” - Olivier Passot
By Olivier Passot as told to Chefs for Impact
The new sustainable collection No.W is the result of a unique revolutionary invention. Where did you get the idea from?
“First, it came from an observation. Revol produces about 350 tons of ceramic waste every year, to which is added to the loss of material, the cost of transport, indirect pollution, and a significant cost of reprocessing.
Then the project became a reality thanks to a wonderful encounter with the non-profit organization ‘La Fabuleuse Cantine’ in France. Their Chefs, essentially social workers and migrants, cook a seasonal menu based on recycled fruits and vegetables donated by the local supermarkets and farmers. These passionate and committed people have been a real source of inspiration for us.
We had numerous brainstorming sessions at ‘La Fabuleuse Cantine’, which became an integral part of the project. This is where the idea and name of No.W were born.
The technology Recyclay is the result of recycling the ceramic wastes using a new way of treating our industrial waste water. It allows us to create a new ceramic paste that has the same technical properties of other Revol ceramics but which is also totally sustainable. Along the way, we have taken care of not generating new waste in line with our commitment to the planet.”
You are clearly a pioneer in eco-responsible tableware. How do you ensure that your values are transmitted and deployed to your customers?
“We have developed educational tools (brochure, video, etc.) to better explain our philosophy and raise awareness for waste reduction. Our teams have been trained to get the right message across to customers.
We created a stand made of Recyclay, that can be displayed in our clients’ restaurants as an evidence of their commitment to a more sustainable world.”
Do you think that there is a strong collective awareness happening now? And will consumers change their consumption behaviors?
“Yes, it's obvious. There's so much to rethink in the ‘standard’ consumption behavior. I think people are going to be more interested in issues like waste reduction and recycling. We need to make sure that the message gets across and we have a role to play in that.
We also want to bring together a community of committed Chefs who would be the eco-ambassadors helping us to be the voice of change.”
What are your best practices for a more responsible gastronomy?
“First, our approach needs to be more local. What is the origin of the product I’m eating? Sustainable gastronomy is about eating local products in season. As a restaurant owner, you must play the local card as much as possible, even if it is more expensive.
Use eco-responsible and food safe containers and kitchen equipment. We have to be consistent and stop buying everything from China because of the pollution it generates. Tomorrow's gastronomy may mean rethinking the way of consuming by trying to create virtuous cycles.
As an exporting company, these are the questions I’m asking myself too: shouldn't Revol also refocus on the French market in order to limit its environmental impact? Trying to educate its distributors even more? Trying to find a way to recycle the tableware that our customers no longer use?
The awareness is real on our side and so is our commitment. There are a lot more avenues to explore for a more powerful impact. We will explore them.”
Learn more about No.W from Revol : https://www.revol-pro.com/en/blog/now-br-the-1st-collection-made-from-recycled-ceramic-n92
Learn more about La Fabuleuse Cantine : https://lafabuleusecantine.fr/
