TRIFYL – Decarbonize and reach a maximum of waste recovery
Nominated by: Camille DEMAZURE (Head of strategy and development)
Summary of the project
TRIFYL is a public waste management authority in Tarn, southwest France. Since 2014, it has implemented a comprehensive waste strategy combining prevention, improved sorting, and innovative industrial units that now enable the recovery of over 80% of municipal waste.
Through recycling and energy recovery, TRIFYL uses the best available technologies to produce biogas, which is injected into the local grid, covering the needs of 10% of Tarn’s population, supporting the region’s energy autonomy. It also transforms waste into recovered fuel used by local industries, with only the final, non-recoverable waste going to landfill—without odour or methane emissions.
Backed by a €40 million loan from the European Investment Bank, TRIFYL has increased waste recovery from 52% to 82% in just three years.
Innovation
TRIFYL’s project stands out for its integrated and cost-efficient model that combines the best available technologies to achieve maximum waste recovery while minimising environmental impact and optimising economic and social benefits.
The innovation lies in the system’s technical performance, enabling high material and energy recovery, paired with strong environmental safeguards to limit emissions and protect biodiversity, soil, water, and air. It also ensures economic efficiency by maximising revenues from recovered waste and keeping costs low for residents, while fostering local job creation through its operations.
As a public service, TRIFYL continues to invest in R&D, exploring diversification avenues such as green hydrogen production and pyrogasification, further enhancing the model’s sustainability and adaptability for future energy and waste challenges.
Impact
TRIFYL’s model significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions by maximising material recovery and minimising incineration and landfilling. All waste is systematically sorted to extract recyclable materials, avoiding their combustion or burial. The system also achieves higher energy efficiency than traditional incineration, producing 1.9 MWh per tonne of waste, compared to a maximum of 1.5 MWh/tonne from conventional incinerators.
In terms of local benefits, TRIFYL has created 50 direct jobs in the region—including maintenance staff and machine operators—and supports local industries through service and supply contracts. Compared to the previous landfill-based system, TRIFYL has achieved a 23% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, with further improvements planned through projects in self-consumption and decarbonised heavy mobility.
Scalability and replicability
The TRIFYL model offers a replicable and scalable framework for other regions aiming to reduce landfill dependency and align with new waste regulations. By optimising sorting and recovery, the system supports local energy production while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and energy imports.
TRIFYL is already collaborating with French territories seeking to modernise their treatment systems and is engaged in international cooperation projects in Ecuador, Cambodia, and South Africa. As a public service operator with a fully operational and effective model, TRIFYL serves as a reference point for sustainable waste management and a source of inspiration for other regions aiming to transition toward low-emission, circular waste systems.