Fête de la Récup' de Laissac

La Fête de la Récup': The Annual Event of La Transformerie

Every first Sunday of October, La Transformerie in Laissac opens its doors wide for the Fête de la Récup', a festive day entirely dedicated to reuse, recycling, and upcycling. From 10 am to 5 pm, the site on rue des Colombiès transforms into a true recovery village, where young and old discover that an object destined for the trash can have an unsuspected second life. Admission is free and the atmosphere is resolutely friendly, with refreshments and food available throughout the day.

Workshops, Activities, and Demonstrations

The program for the Fête de la Récup' revolves around numerous participatory activities. Repair workshops teach how to repair rather than throw away: small appliances, sewing, small carpentry, and bicycles are among the regularly offered themes. Upcycling workshops invite visitors to transform recovered materials into useful or decorative objects, guided by passionate volunteers. Activities to raise awareness about waste sorting and reducing waste complete the program, with information stands run by associative and institutional partners committed to the ecological transition in Aveyron.

La Transformerie: A Recycling Center Serving the Region

Founded in February 2018 by a group of friends concerned about environmental issues, La Transformerie is a non-profit association that promotes the reuse and repurposing of objects. After receiving support from local authorities at the end of 2018, the association was able to rent a warehouse on rue des Colombiès in Laissac in early 2019 and launch its activities. Residents drop off objects they wish to part with; about thirty volunteers sort, check, and clean them before offering them for sale at low prices in the eco-solidarity shop, open on Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 12 pm and Saturdays from 9:30 am to 12 pm and then from 1:30 pm to 5 pm. Three employees coordinate activities during the week.

From Repair Café to Fête de la Récup': A Rich Annual Program

Beyond the Fête de la Récup', La Transformerie hosts themed repair workshops on certain Saturday afternoons throughout the year, in the spirit of Repair Cafés. These skill-sharing events allow for extending the lifespan of everyday objects through mutual aid and knowledge transfer. The association also organizes summer evening events with exceptional shop openings in the evening, photography exhibitions, and concerts, as well as bike days combining bike sales, repair workshops, and shows. The first edition of the Fête de la Récup' in autumn 2019 welcomed over 400 visitors, confirming the region's enthusiasm for this solidarity-based reuse initiative.

Laissac-Sévérac-l'Église: In the Heart of Rouergue

Laissac-Sévérac-l'Église is a new commune in Aveyron, created on January 1, 2016, from the merger of Laissac and Sévérac-l'Église, with approximately 2,250 inhabitants. Nestled in the Aveyron valley between Rodez and Aubrac, the commune is renowned for its livestock market, the second largest in France, with fairs dating back to 1422. Local heritage includes the Gallo-Roman oppidum of Montmerlhe, a vast fortified Ruteni city of over 100 hectares, the 16th-century Tour Rességuier, and the Château de Maquefabes, a former mill from 1305 transformed into a castle in 1656. La Transformerie is fully integrated into the dynamic associative fabric of this rural commune, which is attached to its traditions and open to citizen initiatives.