Sustainable e-commerce player Le Fourgon, which delivers products in returnable packaging to homes using electric delivery vans, wants to export its French success story to Belgium: the start-up is making its debut in Liège.
Belgian product range
Le Fourgon delivers beverages, pasta, rice, beauty products, and household products in returnable packaging to homes and collects the empty packaging on its next round, using 100% electric delivery vans, without the customer having to pay the deposit in advance. The circular start-up, which was founded in France in 2021, has already won over more than 80,000 customers in France and reused more than 30 million containers. The company is now profitable.
Le Fourgon is now also starting deliveries in Belgium, within a 50 km radius of its warehouse in Liège. The aim is to test the environmentally friendly model here and then gradually expand to other regions. The company has adapted its offering to the Belgian market and gives priority to products sourced from less than 150 km away: Belgian beers, wines from Namur, milk from Inex, juices from the Looza or Pajottelander brands, etc. Le Fourgon is supported in this by the Liège-based investment fund Noshaq.
Reuse is more sustainable
Customers place their orders via the website or mobile app, choose a delivery time, and have their order delivered by electric vehicle. Le Fourgon collects the empty packaging on the next delivery. It is washed and reused up to 40 times. If the packaging is returned within 60 days, no deposit is charged. According to the startup’s own calculations, for an average shopping basket containing around 20 essential products, it is barely one euro more expensive than the supermarket for equivalent quality.
According to Le Fourgon, reused packaging saves 75% energy, 79% CO₂, and 33% water. A life cycle analysis shows that the reuse model is more environmentally friendly than disposable packaging after just three uses. After six reuses, it has a smaller environmental impact than HDPE plastic or Tetra Pak. The startup also has an offering for events and businesses.
