Our history

Joël Séché created Laval Services, 1st entity of the future Séché Environnement group, based on the family public works SME he had just taken over. The mayor of Laval asked him to develop the most effective solution for the town’s landfill site. After having studied best practices from around the world, he opened the first non-hazardous waste storage facility (class 2).

An ecologist carried out the first biodiversity impact study at the Changé facility. It was the first step toward an ambitious biodiversity preservation strategy.

We created a “waste business park” in Changé to bring together our public and private waste treatment services. Our high environmental quality technical solutions enabled us to add a hazardous waste storage center (class 1).

We earned ISO 14001 certification, for environmental management systems, making Séché Environnement the first waste management company in the world to obtain this recognition.

• Séché Environnement became the first French waste management company to undertake an initial public offering, floating on the second Paris stock market.
• We inaugurated a sorting center at the Changé facility to support local communities with recycling.

French President Jacques Chirac visited the Changé facility.

• With the acquisition of Alcor, the waste branch of the Caisse des Dépôts, the Group picked up the pace of its domestic expansion and consolidated its position as key partner in industrial waste management in France.
• The Group entered into new regions in southwest France and the multi-channel DRIMM branch (town of Montauban) became a full subsidiary. This branch specialized in treating and recovering non-hazardous industrial and household waste.

• Séché Environnement continued its expansion and moved into the international market. It acquired Tredi, specializing in incineration and the physico-chemical treatment of hazardous waste. The same year, Speichim Processing and Valls Quimica became subsidiaries. These two companies specialize in distillation to regenerate solvents and purify synthetic intermediates.
• The Group employed 2,500 people.

The Changé facility became the first company in France to obtain OHSAS 18001 certification, which recognizes the Group’s efforts to continuously improve workplace health and safety.

Creation of a team of ecologists tasked with heading our biodiversity preservation strategy across 15 of our sites.

Séché Environnement started to produce its own green energy. Storage facilities, which naturally produce biogas, and thermal treatment facilities, which produce heat, are equipped to become genuine energy recovery hubs. The electricity generated by our facilities is reinjected into the public network.

DRIMM commissioned a biogas recovery facility able to produce enough electricity to supply 70,000 homes.

• The Group positioned itself as a key play in the circular economy by harnessing waste to produce energy.
• Séché Environnement was granted a Délégation de Service Public (DSP) concession to operate Sénerval, an energy recovery unit for residual household waste from Strasbourg.

• To mark four years since the Grenelle de l’environnement debate, President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the Changé sorting center alongside Joël Séché.
• Séché won the DSP to operate Alcéa, the energy recovery units for the Greater Nantes area.

• Eco-Mobilier and Valdélia selected several Séché Environnement sites to develop new solutions to recover furniture waste.
• The Group signed up to the French National Biodiversity Strategy and started to roll out wildlife preservation initiatives recognized by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition.

• We developed new technology to regenerate bromine as part of our efforts to recover hazardous waste at Saint-Vulbas. This tool is the only one of its kind in Europe and won the Special Environment Award at the Trophées de la Chimie Remarquable. Although it is a strategic resource, bromine had up until this point only been produced outside Europe.
• Séché Healthcare was set up as a subsidiary to provide tailored services to handle Potentially Infectious Medical Waste (PIMW).
• We opened out Kanay subsidiary in Peru.
• Séché Urgences Interventions was launched to enable us to rapidly react following environmental catastrophes.

All our industrial sites spanning more than 10 hectares were awarded the Ecocert “Biodiversity Commitment” label, making Séché the first environment services provider to achieve such a milestone.

• In Laval, we opened the first Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) thermal power station in France.
• The environment branch of the Charier Group joined our ranks.
• The Group acquired the Spanish company Solarca, which specializes in industrial maintenance services by chemical cleaning.
• We acquired two more companies, San in Chile and Taris in Peru, which both specialize in managing hazardous waste.

• Our R&D Center  opened in Saint-Vulbas.
• We launched the Sustainable Practices to Protect Nature program to bring to life our biodiversity preservation strategy.
• We became the first company in France to contract an impact loan, linked to the fulfilment of three criteria: ESG performance, biodiversity commitments and energy self-sufficiency.

• We acquired Interwaste, a major provider of integrated waste management services in southern and South Africa.
• The same year, Mecomer, an Italian-based company specializing in managing hazardous waste, joined the Group. Mecomer handles both solid and liquid waste, in particular high value-added waste from the chemical, pharmaceutical or energy industry.
• The Group employed 4,600 people.
• We became involved in PLAINÉNERGIE, the first project in Europe to transform non-recovered waste into renewable gas by combining pyrogasification and biological methanation.

• We added Spill Tech to our portfolio, the leading provider of emergency environmental services and decontamination in South Africa.
• Our teams inaugurated a new heat network at the Trédi plant in Salaise-sur-Sanne, which will help avoid 180,000 tons of CO₂ each year, the equivalent of the emissions generated by a town of 23,000 people.

• We acquired 8 centers specializing in wastewater management from SARP OSIS-IDF, a subsidiary of Veolia. This new business line expands the range of services we provide and bolsters out presence in the Greater Paris region.
• We unveiled our decarbonization strategy, which pursues two core targets to cut our emissions by 25% and increase the emissions we help our clients avoid by 40%.
• The Group acquired certain activities from Veolia and strengthened its position on the industrial water treatment services market.

• We strengthen our presence in Northern Italy with the acquisition of Furia, a company specializing in industrial waste management.
• We acquire Essac, the specialist in environmental emergency services in Peru.
• In Southern Africa the Group now brings together the most comprehensive range of waste management and environmental safety solutions for industrial companies with the acquisition of Rent-A-Drum in Namibia.
• Biodiversity: Séché Environnement launches its 2023-2027 strategy
• We are now more than 6,000 employees.