Purple Alternative Surface signs a partnership agreement with the Colas group

The permeability of the developed coating helps filter rainwater and allows its infiltration into the soil.

Colas and Purple Alternative Surface join forces to advance the recycling of plastic waste and offer virtuous urban development solutions

The Belfort-based start-up and Colas have been working together for several months and are already proposing to integrate the technology developed by Purple Alternative Surface into Colas' development projects. The collaboration between the start-up and Colas was also distinguished by Olivier Roussat, Managing Director of the Bouygues Group, at the Vivatech 2023 trade fair.

The signing of this agreement, which consolidates the partnership between Purple Alternative Surface and Colas, demonstrates the common desire to promote innovation and sustainability in the construction and infrastructure sector, in order to create smarter, more sustainable cities. and more resilient.

The agreement aims to strengthen synergies between Colas and Purple Alternative Surface, via experimental projects based on the use of recycled plastic waste for the design, manufacturing, marketing, or implementation of innovative construction materials, as well as joint commercial projects. This agreement is non-exclusive, Purple Alternative Surface continues to work with all players in construction, urban planning and green spaces.

For Pierre Quinonero, co-founder of Purple Alternative Surface:« This merger with the Colas teams constitutes real recognition of the relevance of our innovation, our approach to the construction and urban planning sectors as well as our commitment to a sustainable future.. We are very honored by this attention paid by Colas, a global player in the construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure, which pushes us to continue innovation and the development of solutions that meet the challenges of our time »

For David Lerouge, Innovation Director at Colas: « The partnership with Purple Alternative Surface is part of our decarbonization trajectory. It concretizes our commitment to developing sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions. »

An innovation that does good for the planet... and meets the needs of construction and urban planning stakeholders

Each year in France, 3 million tonnes of multi-component plastic waste are not recycled. Waste that ends up buried or incinerated, releasing a huge amount of CO2 into the atmosphere and contributing to the pollution of groundwater, rivers and oceans.

At the same time, the problem of soil waterproofing causes stress on the environment by promoting water runoff, a factor that aggravates flooding during periods of heavy rain, and leads to the depletion of water tables.

Two major environmental issues that the founders of Purple Alternative Surface have chosen to address. After a first career in construction, Pierre Quinonero and Sébastien Molas, two nature lovers alarmed by the growing artificialization of soils (in France more than 20.000 hectares are artificialized each year, the equivalent of the city of Marseille) and by the damage caused by plastic waste observed all over the world, have given themselves the mission of imagining a relevant solution to these challenges. After devoting two years to R&D, Purple Alternative Surface has developed an innovation that makes it possible to recycle plastic waste to transform it into a permeable slab intended for urban development. A covering that facilitates the infiltration of rainwater into the soil, while filtering it using a geotextile underlay.

Beneficial effects for the planet, combined with decisive advantages for construction industry players. Thus, the permeable slabs developed by the start-up integrate a patented surface storage solution, with a capacity of 40 liters/m², which eliminates the constraint of installing a buried retention basin. These slabs are easy and quick to install, with a team of only 4 people, without mechanical means: 300m² can be installed per day. Modular and movable, the slabs can be dismantled, for example to access buried networks (water, electricity, gas, etc.).

More than 4.000 m² of permeable slabs have already been installed, representing 100 tonnes of plastic waste which was not recycled.