In partnership with the COLOURS Alliance, Le Mans will host the fourth edition of Opening the Bin (OTB4) from 10 to 13 December 2025, a major international conference dedicated to understanding waste as a mirror of social, economic and environmental dynamics. Under the theme “Life in a Bin: When Waste Reflects the Materiality of Societies”, the event brings together researchers, practitioners and communities committed to exploring how waste shapes — and is shaped by — our ways of living.
The conference is organised by Le Mans Université with the support of several academic networks dedicated to advancing research on waste and society. By being hosted within a COLOURS member university, the conference aligns naturally with the alliance’s ambition to promote collaborative, interdisciplinary research across Europe. It offers an opportunity for scholars from COLOURS member universities — and beyond — to engage in dialogue, share insights and strengthen cross-border perspectives.
OTB4 will explore five core themes: livelihoods and working conditions linked to waste; grassroots environmental practices; power relations and inequalities revealed by waste; territorial and urban metabolisms; and the conceptual and material dimensions that define what societies label as “waste”. The programme includes a writing workshop for doctoral students, followed by two days of scientific sessions, thematic panels, and a cultural visit of the historic Cité Plantagenêt.
Designed as an open space for dialogue, reflection and collaboration, OTB4 invites researchers, students and professionals to join the discussions in Le Mans and contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary material cultures.
The organising committee warmly encourages all interested participants to take part in this new edition of Opening the Bin.
Find all the information on the website : https://otb4.sciencesconf.org/?lang=en
