Carton Plein

What Carton Plein does

Carton Plein is a French non-profit association (Association loi 1901) founded in 2012 in Paris, operating as a Structure d'Insertion par l'Activité Économique (SIAE) at the intersection of circular economy and sustainable urban logistics. Activity is organised across two complementary structures: the main association collects used cardboard from businesses, sorts and repairs it, then resells boxes and protective packing materials to individuals and professionals via an online Shopify store (shop.cartonplein.org) and four physical ateliers (Paris 18th, Paris 11th, Nanterre, Pantin); Carton Plein Cyclo, a subsidiary created in October 2023 as an Entreprise d'Insertion, operates a cargo bike fleet (electric cargo bikes with trailers capable of up to 300 kg per bike) to deliver urban logistics services — cardboard and biodéchet collection, last-mile delivery, and cold-chain meal delivery for the CASVP public contract.

The entire activity is subordinated to a professional insertion mission delivered through three state-accredited devices (DPH, ACI, EI) targeting people in situations of exclusion. In 2025 the organisation supported 189 insertion workers (up from 147 in 2024) across 50 permanent staff, cycling 166,300–177,400 km and collecting 272.5 tonnes of cardboard. Revenue is generated transactionally across three streams: unit-priced sales of secondhand boxes and calage materials to consumers and businesses; per-contract B2B cyclo-logistics services to 60+ professional clients (BlaBlaCar, Reporterre, OMAJ, Les Alchimistes, K-Way, Aesop, Ramsay Santé, etc.); and a public procurement contract with CASVP for cold-chain meal delivery. Customers cite low-emission compliance, ZFE-mandate adherence, and RSE/CSR reporting utility as primary purchase drivers. Distribution combines direct B2B sales (commercial team led by Clément), a multi-site retail network, and a Shopify direct-to-consumer storefront.

Name

Carton Plein

Legal name

Carton Plein Association loi 1901

Website

https://cartonplein.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carton Plein is a Paris-based non-profit (Association loi 1901) operating since 2012 that collects used cardboard, resells secondhand moving boxes, and runs cargo-bike cyclo-logistics services to fund professional insertion programmes for people in situations of exclusion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and Eco-logistics Services

NAICS

Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Local (484220), Transportation and Warehousing (48-49)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Cartons (Folding Boxboard, SBS/SUS) (IMALACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Waste, Hazardous Waste & Regulated Disposal Logistics (RCRA/ADR Waste) (TLAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Secondhand moving boxes
• Cargo bike delivery
• Cardboard waste collection
• Bio-waste collection
• Professional insertion services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris, Île-de-France

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Sale of secondhand cardboard boxes and calage materials: Boxes and protective packaging materials are collected from businesses, sorted and repaired by insertion workers, and sold to individuals and professionals for moving or shipping. Each unit sold generates direct revenue while funding insertion wages and operations.
2. Cyclo-logistics services (collection and delivery): Professional clients (businesses, restaurants, public institutions) pay for waste collection, biodéchet collection, and last-mile delivery services performed by cargo bikes. Services are priced per contract (recurring or one-time). Revenue funds the Entreprise d'Insertion (EI) and its cyclo-logistics workforce.
3. Municipal/public contracts: Carton Plein Cyclo holds a public procurement contract with CASVP (Centre d'Action Sociale de la Ville de Paris) until 2025 for meal delivery in cold chain, representing a recurring institutional revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Carton Plein is a non-profit social insertion association that collects used cardboard from businesses, refurbishes it, and resells it as secondhand moving boxes and protective packing materials. It also operates a cyclo-logistics arm (Carton Plein Cyclo) providing zero-emission cargo bike delivery, waste and bio-waste collection, and cold-chain meal transport for professional clients in Paris and Île-de-France. All activities serve as professional training ground for people far from employment through insertion programs (DPH, ACI, EI).

Product overview

Carton Plein is a non-profit association (SIAE - Structure d'Insertion par l'Activité Économique) operating since 2012, combining circular economy and cyclo-logistics to support professional insertion of people in precarious situations. The organization operates through three complementary structures: (1) Carton Plein main association offering second-hand cardboard boxes (cartons de déménagement, pack déménagement) and protective accessories through its boutique and online shop; (2) Carton Plein Cyclo, a specialized cyclo-logistics branch providing cargo bike delivery, waste/bio-waste collection, and cold meal delivery services; and (3) professional insertion structures including the Dispositif Premières Heures (DPH), Atelier et Chantier d'Insertion (ACI), and Entreprise d'Insertion (EI) for cyclo-logistics. The organization also offers solidarity team buildings. Operations span Paris (11th and 18th arrondissements), Nanterre (92), and Pantin (93).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cartons de déménagement (Secondhand moving boxes) Second-hand cardboard boxes collected from businesses, sorted, repaired and resold for residential and commercial moving and shipping needs via the Shopify shop and four boutique locations.
• Pack déménagement Pre-assembled moving packs containing a curated selection of refurbished boxes and protective materials, sold as a kit for household moves.
• Protections et accessoires (Packing protections and accessories) Protective packing materials and accessories, including cushioning (calage) and protection plates made from reused cardboard as an eco-friendly alternative to bubble wrap.
• Collecte de cartons Pickup service for businesses with reusable cardboard boxes, with regular collections from one or more sites performed by cargo bike.
• Livraison à vélo cargo Last-mile cargo bike delivery for professional clients in Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, and Seine-Saint-Denis, handling cold meals, food products, parcels, and documents.
• Collecte de déchets et biodéchets Waste and bio-waste collection for businesses (coffee grounds, restaurant food waste for composting, etc.), with traceability and impact reporting.
• Livraison de repas en liaison froide (Cold-chain meal delivery) Cold-chain meal delivery by cargo bike, transporting prepared meals from partner kitchens (e.g., PaliKao) to solidarity restaurants, maintaining the cold chain with insulated covers and cooling plates.
• Teambuildings solidaires Solidarity team-building experiences for companies, offering hands-on activities around cardboard reuse and cyclo-logistics that strengthen team bonds while supporting social insertion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 189 persons in professional insertion in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CycloCarecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 July 2025Formalised partnership from 15 July 2025: Carton Plein entrusts the maintenance of its cargo bike fleet to CycloCare, an insertion enterprise specialised in bicycle services. CycloCare mechanics conduct regular servicing at Carton Plein's logistics hubs (Paris 11e, Pantin, Nanterre). Both are insertion enterprises, reinforcing mutual social impact. CycloCare services over 10,000 bikes/year across Paris, Lyon, and Nantes.
• EnercoopminorOthersEnercoop is the cooperative 100% renewable electricity supplier for Carton Plein since its founding. Enercoop operates a citizen-governed model with 13 local cooperatives and 572 French renewable energy producers. The partnership ensures Carton Plein's electricity consumption (workshops, e-bike charging) comes from verified green sources.
• Les Roues LibrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Les Roues Libres (cycling association) to train women in precarious situations for careers in cyclo-logistics. Funded by the RATP Fondation award (2025). The joint programme combines cycling skills, professional certification, and social support to help women enter the urban logistics labour market.
• OMAJminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOMAJ is a secondhand fashion platform that sources its shipping packaging from Carton Plein — using reused cardboard boxes for outbound deliveries. This is a circular supply chain partnership where OMAJ's logistics need is met by Carton Plein's product stream, and Carton Plein gains a recurring B2B customer.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights448 records

Direct peers

• BicyLift: Paris cargo-bike operator delivering parcels, food and meal-kit logistics across Île-de-France — same service category, geography and B2B customer profile as Carton Plein Cyclo.
• Altermundi: Paris-based cooperative providing cargo-bike urban logistics and last-mile delivery with a cooperative and impact-led governance model — direct overlap with Carton Plein Cyclo's cyclo-logistics activity.
• Phénix: French social enterprise recovering unsold food and consumer goods from retailers for redistribution or resale. Most directly comparable French circular-economy operator with a measurable social and environmental impact mission.
• Les Alchimistes: Paris/Ile-de-France biowaste collection and composting operator with an explicit social and environmental mission; they are both a Carton Plein customer and a directly comparable circular-economy impact business.
• La Petite Rockette: Paris-based circular-economy association (repair, reuse, recycling) co-founder with Carton Plein of the PTCE bicycle industry group — directly comparable SSE/insertion operator in the same geography.

Emerging players

• Too Good To Go: Pan-European app-based marketplace rescuing unsold meals from restaurants — adjacent impact mission (food waste reduction) operating in France with similar B2B restaurant clients.
• Le Chaînon Manquant: French association rescuing surplus prepared meals and redistributing them to charities — directly comparable triple-impact (social, environmental, food) operator with similar B2B donor and volunteer model.

Broad incumbents

• Stuart Delivery: European on-demand urban delivery platform operating in Paris — same B2B last-mile delivery category as Carton Plein Cyclo but at significantly larger scale and with mixed vehicle modes.
• Emmaüs Défi: Large French social-inclusion organisation operating circular-economy activities (collection, sorting, resale) in Paris — directly comparable SSE/insertion governance model with broader scope and longer history.
• Coursier.fr: Established French same-day urban courier and delivery service — broader incumbent operating across multiple vehicle types and customer segments in the same urban logistics market Carton Plein Cyclo serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4_-D2TXL-tUI62rvNihZuA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CartonPlein75
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carton-plein-75
• Instagraminstagram.com/cartonplein_asso

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carton Plein