Environmental policy
2009 report
Cleanliness is a growing priority
Sustainable development applies to all Rungis Market maintenance operations. It covers waste recycling, energy savings, water management, etc. Cleanliness is by far the most crucial challenge for the world's largest fresh produce market.
Since the days of Les Halles de Paris, the tradition in wholesale markets was quite simply to throw any waste onto the ground. In 2008, 15,000 tons of waste was still being collected from the floor, representing nearly one quarter of the waste generated by the Market's activity. Consequently, cleanliness is Semmaris' largest expenditure item at ten million euros a year and it is an absolute necessity for the world fresh produce capital! Three suppliers were carefully selected in April 2009 to successfully deal with the three major cleanliness operations involved in the activity of any market like Rungis, namely indoor cleaning of buildings, outdoor cleaning of the site, and waste collection and recycling.
Waste treatment improvements
The latter task has become a priority, with special containers supplied for sorting and recycling. The container operation was backed up by the distribution of 1,600 wheelie bins in two colours, green for recyclable waste, and grey for waste destined for incineration. These will go to the fifteen collective waste compressors installed throughout the site in suitable premises, whose opening hours have been extended. At the same time, another waste collection centre opened in September 2009 next to Point E (the packaging recycling centre). This new centre can take in polystyrene products, vegetable waste or small office furniture and paper archives.
Over three quarters of the waste generated by the Market’s activity is recycled. Whether cardboard or wood, for instance, 60% of the waste entering Point E is turned into matter that can be recycled. The remainder is recycled into energy, via the Market’s on-site incineration plant, or into compost. For example, the Claye-Souilly centre recovered 9,000 tons of unmarketable fruit and vegetables in 2009, compared with 7,400 tons in 2008.
The Winter Service includes a Snow and Ice plan, which has defined two priority circuits, out of the Market's 232 hectares, representing 60 kilometres of roadways. Thanks to weather updates three times a day, the road system is covered with a brine solution including 21% salt (which is both more effective and environment-friendly) as a preventive measure. This system has been reinforced by providing 80 salt containers placed throughout the Market so that everyone can de-ice road surfaces and pavements locally, if need be.
Energy savings
Energy is another challenge. Some substations were upgraded this year as part of the overhaul of the power system, notable two high voltage stations and an electric generating set. It must be pointed out that the gradual replacement of equipment (almost all of the equipment dating back to when the Market has now been replaced) is also being done in an effort to standardize facilities for more reliable, efficient maintenance. New energy-saving actions are currently under consideration too, notably to reduce the cost of lighting, which represents one third of the Market’s energy consumption.
Besides electricity, the Market is a natural consumer of heating and cooling. Some feasibility studies were done in 2009 to improve the operating conditions of the cooling facilities. Their energy consumption could be effectively reduced by optimizing time slots in correlation with operators’ actual activity and better adapting the installed capacities to the real needs.
Furthermore, 30% of the cold facilities running on R22 refrigerant were upgraded or replaced in 2009 in the context of the new environmental regulations (Montreal and Kyoto protocols). The percentage of upgraded facilities will come to 70% in 2010.
As regards heating, the distribution network covers 60 kilometres of piping, which is gradually being replaced to make the system more reliable by reducing risks of leaks. At the same time, SEMMARIS has replaced the water-softener system in the boiler room, to give the boilers a longer lifecycle.
