Frequently asked questions

Discover

• What is eco-frugality?

  Above all, it's a way of life. It's our elders, nomadic peoples, our great-grandparents and also Epicurus… In short, all those who knew how to do a lot with little! Many people today recognise themselves in this humanist philosophy and make the world a better place at their own level. For them, quality of life matters: they put being before having, and act for living together and for the protection of our common good, the environment.

• Why did you create Mon Atelier Ecofrugal?

  The adventure began in 2008. Writing the first Guide Ecofrugal was an opportunity to meet solution-holders everywhere: a real tour of eco-frugality across France.
  
  More and more of us are adopting zero waste, the sharing economy, active travel, homemade, short supply chains, organic food… But it's not always easy to take the plunge. It seems complicated, expensive, time-consuming… And then there's the force of habit, which is not always easy to break!
  
  By sharing our knowledge, our tips and our eco-friendly practices, we make others want to follow. By learning from each other, we go further and faster together. We all hold solutions!

• What is an Ecofrugal Workshop?

  A friendly get-together of a few people, at home, at work or in an association, to share what works: an anti-waste tip, a good repairer's address, a homemade laundry detergent recipe… Everyone leaves with ideas to apply the very next day. There are 8 themes, plus a junior version for 9 to 14 year olds: discover our workshops.

• Can a workshop be run in English?

  Yes. The facilitator chooses the language of the workshop. The facilitation booklets are written in French and their English versions are being prepared: contact us to receive a translated copy. The member area of the site is in French for now, and is being translated.

• How much does it cost?

  Nothing: signing up, the facilitation booklets and the workshops are free, and the workshops are run by volunteers. Only the XXL Ecofrugal Workshop, run by an Ecofrugal Coach for companies and local authorities, is paid; it is presented on ecofrugal.fr (in French).

• Ecofrugal Workshop or Fresk: what's the difference?

  A Fresk (such as the Climate Fresk) helps you understand the causes and consequences of an issue, with a trained facilitator, in about 3 hours. The Ecofrugal Workshop starts from what everyone already does or would like to do, to share practical solutions, without training, in about an hour. The two work very well together, both ways: see the detailed comparison.

Take part

• How do I sign up?

  Click on "Sign up", fill in the form and introduce yourself in one sentence. The Ecofrugal Team approves your request, usually within the day, then sends you an email to complete your sign-up; remember to check your spam folder. Here, people really meet: every sign-up is checked and nicknames are not accepted.

• How do I find a workshop near me?

  Once signed up, you can see the workshops and members near you. Workshops are public or private: for a public workshop, just ask to take part, and the Ambassador approves your registration. The community is still growing: if there's no workshop near you, why not organise the first one?

• Can children take part?

  Signing up on the site is for adults only. For 9 to 14 year olds, the Zero waste junior workshop lets a teacher or youth leader run a whole class. The junior booklet can be downloaded for free, without signing up.

Run a workshop

• Who is an Ambassador?

  The person who organises the workshop: they choose the place and the date, and invite their family, friends, neighbours or colleagues. Their role: introduce the topics, give everyone the floor and make sure everyone can share their solutions in a good mood. The facilitation booklet guides them step by step. More than 1,000 Ambassadors have already run workshops all over France. Why not you?

• How do I become an Ambassador?

  Sign up and tick the box "I would also like to become an Ambassador", or click "I'll run a workshop" on a workshop page. Describe your project in two or three sentences: where and with whom would you like to run your workshops? The Ecofrugal Team approves your application, then you get free access to all the facilitation booklets. Depending on your project, the Team may also suggest that you first take part in a workshop near you before running your own.
  
  I become an Ambassador

• Do I need to be an expert to run a workshop?

  No! No need to be a zero waste guru, an organic food queen or an energy saving pro. The solutions come from the participants, and the booklet gives you the whole running order as questions: who makes their own cleaning products? Who buys loose? And how do you reduce food waste? Then it's up to you to keep the discussion practical and positive.

• How many participants, and how long?

  Ideally 8 to 12 people, facilitator included: enough to exchange plenty of ideas, not so many that people can't all speak. We recommend one hour, about 10 minutes per idea for action. The group chooses the ideas it is interested in, and meets again another time for the rest… or for another theme.

• Where can I hold a workshop?

  At home, in a common room of your building, at the office, in an association, a library, a café… or even over a picnic, as long as people can sit down and hear each other. And anywhere: in mainland France, in the French overseas territories, abroad… and even online, on a video call, although nothing beats meeting in person! Only the Ecofrugal Box is reserved for workshops held in mainland France and Corsica.

• And at work?

  Most Ecofrugal workshops take place at work, often over a lunch break between colleagues. Any employee can run a workshop for free with the booklet: talk to your HR or CSR team. To roll out the workshops on a large scale, organisations can book the XXL Ecofrugal Workshop, run by an Ecofrugal Coach. This paid offer is presented on ecofrugal.fr (in French).

The Ecofrugal Box

• What is the Ecofrugal Box?

  For Zero waste, Food and Shared housing workshops, a box of documentation and small gifts from committed brands can be sent to the organiser as soon as 7 participants have signed up on the platform, in addition to the organiser, while stocks last. It is only sent within mainland France, Corsica included.

Your data and our partners

• What do you do with my personal information?

  It is only used to run the site: signing you up, organising workshops and, if you wish, sending you the newsletter (in French). Your first name, last name and postcode are visible to members. Each participant chooses whether or not to appear in photos. We don't sell your data, and you can ask for it to be deleted at any time. All the details are in our Legal notice & terms of use (in French).

• Who are our founding partners?

  Mon Atelier Ecofrugal was launched in 2018 with the support of ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition) and Valdelia. Orange then supported its development: together, we co-designed the Responsible digital, Energy saving, Saving water and Biodiversity booklets. Ecofrugal Project SAS, which publishes the site, is an independent company with the French ESUS approval (Solidarity Company of Social Utility) since 2020.