The history of Galloo

A company founded in 1939 by Joseph Galloo in Menen in Belgium, the company is known for its recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals in Western Europe. Galloo is a medium-sized company with 720 employees, with a current turnover of €700 million thanks to about 40 sites, including 25 in France.

Execution of the project

Following the creation of a subsidiary in 1996 in Halluin, Galloo built the Galloo Plastics factory in 2000, specialised in the recycling of technical plastics. In parallel, Galloo Plastics launched a significant R&D programme on the non-metallic fractions produced from crushing end-of-life objects, with the additional creation of a very specialised unit. This programme has allowed Galloo Plastics to become the European-wide benchmark, as well as the showcase site in the recycling of post-consumer technical plastics from various sources.

On the basis of this successful experience, Galloo has announced today its decision to establish a major preparation and recycling unit for industrial waste in the Hauts-de-France region, in Harnes, which aims to bring together the technical plastic deposits available. This site will treat some 200,000 tonnes of industrial waste per year, industrial waste which will then be “refined” on the Halluin site, thanks to a proven technique. This technique has been chosen and tested by Toyota Japan as the best technology available on the global technical plastic recycling market.

Thanks to this unique technology, Galloo won Ademe’s Recycling Centre call for proposals in 2021, and aims to increase its activity in order to reach 100% of recycled plastics in 2025.

The choice of Hauts-de-France

According to Rik Debaere, managing director, and Olivier François, development director at Galloo, two major reasons made the difference for this strategic establishment:

Firstly, Galloo France was created in 1990 in Halluin in Northern France. For over 30 years, the company has been developing, increasing its activity and ensuring external growth in the region.

Rooted and attached to the Hauts-de-France region, it is only natural that Galloo decided to establish itself in this area.

Secondly, the company is aware of the considerable increase in plastic which still needs to recycled in the region.

Harnes is ideally located as it is both close to the other French sites, but also to unique technological advances for Galloo.

A project supported by regional and local players

The Galloo Recycling industrial project was supported by the Communauté d’Agglomération de Lens-Liévin, the Voies Navigables de France and the Port of Lille.

The Nord France Invest promotion agency helped the company find the perfect site, and seek funding, which resulted in a solution from Ademe.

Rik DEBAERE: “Galloo wishes to thank all the stakeholders who took part in the performance of this contractual component, the foundation stone of our industrial project: the CALL, VNF and the Port of Lille, who provided us with ongoing support, and Nord France Invest, an effective initiator and assistant throughout the process.”

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