Le Fourgon Secures $8.5 Million to Help France Cut Plastic Waste
Marquette-lez-Lille-based startup Le Fourgon has raised $8.5 million to scale its reusable glass deposit systems across France, aiming to tackle the growing plastic waste problem by promoting sustainable consumption habits. The funding will be used to expand its range of returnable products and strengthen its services for businesses, reflecting a long-term strategy to integrate reusable packaging solutions into everyday life.

Marquette-lez-Lille-based startup Le Fourgon has raised $8.5 million to scale its reusable glass deposit systems across France, aiming to tackle the growing plastic waste problem by promoting sustainable consumption habits. The funding will be used to expand its range of returnable products and strengthen its services for businesses, reflecting a long-term strategy to integrate reusable packaging solutions into everyday life.
The funding round took place in two phases. The first, totaling $5.9 million, came from major investors including ID4 Ventures, Teampact Ventures, La Poste Ventures, and new contributors such as Bred, Noshaq, and Future Positive Capital. An additional $2.6 million was raised through the sustainable investment platform Lita, with contributions from 1,590 individual investors.
According to Charles Christory, CEO and Co-founder of Le Fourgon, this financing marks an important step in scaling reuse systems in France. He emphasized that “this contribution to our Series A not only strengthens our capacity for action; it testifies to a collective commitment to a fundamental change in our consumption patterns.” He highlighted France’s target of reducing plastic packaging by 50% by 2030 as a key motivator for the company’s mission.
Founded in 2021 by Charles Christory, Stéphane Dessein, and Maxime Tharin, Le Fourgon aims to revive the glass deposit system in France to combat the increasing volume of waste generated by single-use packaging, particularly plastic bottles. The idea emerged from concerns over the inefficiency of current recycling systems, with recyclable waste piling up faster than it is processed.
The company reports that approximately 36 million plastic bottles are purchased daily in France, contributing to the nation’s 4.5 million tonnes of annual plastic waste. Reusing a container instead of producing new packaging can reduce energy consumption by 75%, carbon emissions by 79%, and water usage by 33%, according to Le Fourgon’s data.
The startup operates a home delivery service, where customers order beverages, groceries, and household items via its website or mobile app. Deliveries are made using electric vehicles, and empty containers are collected during subsequent deliveries, cleaned, and reused up to 40 times. This system supports the company’s zero-waste approach and significantly reduces reliance on single-use packaging.
Currently serving 20 French cities and over 2,500 towns, Le Fourgon has helped prevent the use of over 25 million single-use containers, equivalent to over 9,250 tonnes of plastic waste. With 65,000 customers already on board, the company claims its users have cut their daily waste by two-thirds by switching to reusable packaging.
The recent investment follows a $10 million Series A round completed in November 2023. Le Fourgon remains focused on its primary challenge—popularizing the deposit system and integrating it into everyday consumption. In the first half of 2025, the company plans to expand to two more cities while also introducing new product categories in groceries, household goods, and personal care items.
On the B2B side, which currently accounts for 12% of its business, the startup plans to grow further by hiring 100 new employees to support its development. By 2028, it expects to have reused 100 million containers.
Maxime Getten, Investment Director at Lita, stated that the company fits perfectly with their impact investment strategy, highlighting Le Fourgon’s leadership in the deposit system and its potential to scale across Europe. Hervé Cuviliez, Co-founder of ID4 Ventures, echoed similar sentiments, noting the company’s “innovative vision and commitment to a sustainable model” as reasons for continued support.