NOMADIC interview with Bini
A pioneer in reusable cutlery made in France, Bini has been accompanying our takeaway lunches for 5 years now. Our new summer range, Escapade iodée, invites you to picnic with la belle-iloise... and with Bini! Its 6 nomadic recipes include a Binikit that combines a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks in an ingenious, lightweight case, so you can enjoy the sea wherever you go!
To mark the launch of this new boxed set, let's go and meet one of the two founders of Bini, Perrine Motte, whom we met in Vannes, just a stone's throw from Quiberon...
Can you tell us about the beginnings of Bini? Where did the idea come from to revolutionise the world of mobile and take-away meals?
It all started with our lunch breaks! My partner Alice and I used to take our meals out every day of the week, and we realised that when you put them all together, they produced mountains of waste: endless containers, glasses, bags, cutlery, etc. So we asked ourselves "how can we do better? and we set ourselves the challenge of finding solutions!
We started by looking at what was available on the reusable market, and almost all the products on offer were made in plastic and in Asia, with very little attention paid to design...
So, as we often talked about entrepreneurship together and wanted to have more impact in our daily lives, we thought that creating French reusable cutlery, made from eco-responsible materials and beautifully designed, was a great idea and the perfect opportunity to launch our company! So we left our respective jobs to start the Bini adventure...
At the same time, the AGEC law came into force, putting an end to single-use plastic packaging. As luck would have it, we weren't going to be alone in changing French habits!
It was early 2020, a few weeks before the Covid crisis, and during the lockdown we were really able to dig into the project and approach manufacturers, who were all extremely willing to answer our questions. That's how we found our first partner to manufacture a prototype in biosourced material.
As soon as we came out of containment, we were able to test the reusable market in around fifteen takeaway restaurants with this product, which was very basic compared with today's Binikit. In 1 month, everything was sold out, so we said to ourselves " Banco, people are ready !
That's when we really got to work on our Binikit, designing our own cast-iron moulds to make it, and adding chopsticks to the fork-knife-spoon trio to make it really suitable for all types of takeaway meals: Asian noodles, poké bowls, sushi... And that's how we became the first French company to offer eco-responsible reusable cutlery!
Can you tell us about the eco-design of BINI products? How are they eco-responsible?
Eco-design is at the very origin of Bini, it's in our DNA and it's what drives us every day. Right from the start, we really thought about limiting our impact at every stage of the manufacturing process.
Firstly, there's the material used in our products, which is entirely bio-sourced, made from recycled wood chips and catering oil. Secondly, everything is made in France: the Binikit and Binibox are designed in Angers, and the Binimug near Clermont-Ferrand.
Then, assembly is entrusted to ESATs, establishments and services providing assistance through work, which train people with disabilities and give them access to employment. The 4 ESATs we work with are all located on the road between the manufacturer and the logistician!
Eco-design is also considered in terms of packaging: we try to have as little packaging as possible on our products, so we simply wrap them in a small paper sleeve, fixed by hand and without glue, to make recycling easier. Finally, we've calculated that compared with disposable cutlery, using Bini cutlery on a daily basis avoids 5kg of waste per person per year!
Many of our customers are companies, schools, universities and institutions, because they have an important role to play in reducing waste. When one of them decides to equip its employees, we offer support to explain our approach and raise awareness among the teams of the need to reduce waste at lunchtime or during other breaks. And it's great to see so much interest in the subject!
On top of all that, your products have been designed by a well-known designer, Margaux Keller?
Yes, we'd met several designers, and Margaux stood out for her style and graphic flair. She also understood our brief from the outset: to bring a touch of design to an everyday product, while keeping it simple and practical. She even told us that she had always dreamed of designing cutlery! So we took her on board and today all our products are designed by her.
Aesthetics and design are important because they make you want to take out your cutlery, your lunchbox, your mug, and use them every day, and to get the message across to everyone that it's easy to switch to reusables. It encourages everyone to get on board!
Can you tell us how this partnership between Bini and la belle-iloise came about?
The partnership was born in September 2024 in La Trinité-sur-mer, during the Circulaires, a unique local event organised to mark the 10th anniversary of the "Auray Quiberon Terre Atlantique" Community of Municipalities. Bringing together institutions, businesses and local residents to discuss environmental issues such as the circular economy and soft mobility, the aim was to share best practice and compare progress.
Bini was a partner in the event, and Caroline Hilliet le Branchu was the patron. During a workshop I was running on eco-responsibility, I met her with a small group of participants from the Belle-Ile region. We had a good chat, and it was clear that we could come up with something together... We got in touch afterwards, which led to the idea of slipping a Binikit into Escapade iodée, the nomadic la belle-iloise box !
I'm very proud of this partnership: there's a historic dimension to the meeting between this beautiful French company, which is almost a hundred years old and run by a very inspiring director, and our young women's start-up - it was destined to happen!
Did you already know about la belle-iloise?
Yes, I feel like I've known it forever! Before the Bini adventure and my move to Vannes, I spent a lot of holidays in Brittany, both as a child and as an adult, so of course I'm familiar with belle-iloise - it's a must in the region... I have fond memories of all those beautiful shops filled with colourful tins where you just want to try everything!
My favourites are the rillettes for aperitifs, which remind me of my student days when we used to go sailing at the weekend and open the little round tins on the boat or on the beach...
What do you think makes a good meal?
For me, the most important thing is that it's simple and effective! So the la belle-iloise tins are perfect for me: just open the tin and it's ready, tasty and easy, without too much preparation.
As I work a lot and I'm hyperactive by nature, cooking isn't really my thing, I prefer lunches on the go... I love picnics! A well-prepared salad at home, with a good dressing, packed in a Bini lunch box, is the best! And the best part is taking a break in the countryside: a sunny beach or lush green surroundings...
Do you have any plans to create new products?
For the moment, we're continuing to innovate in the areas of tableware and mobile lunches. What's really important for us is to listen to our customers and to co-construct the products with them, whether they are individuals or businesses, so that we can make a real difference with Bini and encourage as many people as possible to use reusable products.
Bini is aimed at the whole family, adults and children alike, at the office or school during the week and at picnics at the weekend! We want our products to be available everywhere: at the corner bakery, in petrol stations, in concept stores or at the station... and to be affordable enough to appeal to everyone.
Is there a Bini product of which you are particularly proud?
The Binimug, our new product of the year! There's so much waste with paper cups: 1.5 billion are thrown away every year in France... So finding an alternative with a nomadic mug that's eco-designed in France was a major challenge for us!
Our Binimug is truly unique: it's both lightweight and sturdy, can be used in the microwave, dishwasher or fridge, and its double lid means you can keep your drink hot or cold, so it doesn't spill, and you can drink while you walk! Coffee, tea, soups... it's got it all!
It's almost summer, what's on Bini's summer programme?
The plan is to have a great launch for the Binimug and to continue thinking about expanding our product range. We're also starting to expand internationally, and we'd like to identify countries where Bini products could find an audience, in order to promote reusability and Made in France to different cultures, starting with European countries...
>> To find out more about the Bini approach and see the full collection of beautiful products, go to www.binikit.com
This summer, take the sea with you wherever you go... With its beautifully illustrated case, its cutlery kit combining design and durability, and its 6 iodised recipes ready to eat, our Escapade iodée nomad box is ideal for an impromptu picnic!
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