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Waste and Packaging : recycling issues
The recycling of waste and packaging is central to the major environmental, industrial and logistical challenges, where all actors in the chain are concerned, whether producers, distributors or consumers. It is in the general interest to reduce and recycle waste and packaging as much as possible, as Rungis Market tries to do.
Environmental safety is essential for the future of our planet. It is now more than ever the subject of major efforts and represents a cost of roughly €41.2 billion (2007) in France (current expenditure and investment). It is driving companies to adapt their production from a sustainable development viewpoint and this approach also applies to every citizen. Reducing domestic waste and refuse is actually a key factor in terms of the environment, health and the economy.
National waste production.
Waste production totalled 870 million tons in France in 2008, broken down as follows: agriculture and forestry (374 million), mines, quarries and building and public works (359 million), companies (90 million), households (31 million), local authorities (14 million), healthcare activities (0.2 million).
The national expenditure on waste management (current expenditure and investments) rose to €12.8 billion in 2007, against €11.6 billion in 2006. The incomes from waste recycling was estimated at about €400 million (2007) and covers 6.5% of current expenditures.
Every French person produced 354 kg of household and like waste (2007) to which we can add about 200 kg dropped off at a waste collection centre.
The collected waste is used (2007 – public service) in the following way:
- matter recycling: 20%,
- organic matter recycling: 13.5%,
- energy production: 29%,
- incineration: 1.5%,
- storage NHW (non hazardous waste): 31.5%,
- storage IW (inert waste): 4.5%.
Almost 8 million tons of packaging waste were recycled in 2007 (recycling matter and energy production), representing 63% of the total supply of packaging waste. In addition, 2.1 million tons of compost was produced from 6 million tons of green and other waste. Similarly, incineration helped produce about 3,900 GWh of electricity and 7,800 GWh of heat energy.
The Grenelle 1 law of 3 August 2009 re-launched an ambitious ‘waste’ policy, geared to preventing or reducing the amount of waste, according to the following objectives:
- reduce the output of household and like waste by 7% per inhabitant for the next five years,
- decrease incinerated or buried waste quantities by 15% (by 2012),
- introduce an incentive-based pricing policy within five years,
- generalize preventive plans for local authorities.
At Rungis Market
Every operator at the Market has four waste disposal bins in all: grey for putrescible waste and green for recyclable waste. The number of grey or green bins is adjustable depending on their needs. Once filled, the operator takes their bins to the premises next to each main pavilion, which is equipped with two compactors. A Coved agent then empties them into one of the compactors, depending on the type of waste. However, each operator can have their own compactor upon request, depending on their needs. The compactors (16 m3 for grey bins and 30 m3 for green bins) are emptied twice a week into a skip (depending on the type of waste), which in turn follows the same rotation.
The optimum recycling of the waste and packaging produced by Rungis Market operators and buyers takes place at Point E, including the waste collection centre. Some 45,000 tons are dropped off there annually. The total volumes collected at Rungis Market amounted to 63,614 tons in 2009. This figure was 78,306 tons in 2005 and 80,596 tons in 2000. The policy of cleaning and treating waste and packaging that Semmaris introduced has drastically reduced these volumes over the last ten years. Similarly, the volumes going into the UIOM (incinerator) to produce energy went from 42,062 tons in 2000, to 41,831 tons in 2005, and down to 37,047 tons in 2009 and should drop to 31,000 tons in 2010.
Waste recycling
The waste recycling at Point E was organized as follows in 2008: wood for crushing (10,117 tons or 37%), scrap for the incinerator (9,622 tons or 35%), A5 cardboard (6,429 tons or 23%), pallets (reconditioned, 1,115 tons or 4%), crates (reconditioned, 173 tons or 1%). In addition to these volumes, there were 8 tons of metal and 51 tons of plastic (crates, cling film, wrapping, etc.). Coved has been put in charge of cleaning and treating Rungis Market waste and packaging since April 2009. It has undertaken to recycle plastics by increasing the volume of 50 tons to twelve times that amount. The waste collection centre in turn handles green waste (used for compost), expanded polystyrene (98% air and 2% matter), archives and bulky waste (specialized sorting centre and scrap merchants).
The recyclable waste and packaging are processed and sent to the appropriate recycling sectors. As regards putrescible and fermentable waste (non recyclable), the majority is sent to the SIEVD (heat production) incinerator and a smaller portion (about 10,000 tons) goes to produce methane. The SIEVD (Syndicat mixte Intercommunal d’Exploitation et de Valorisation des Déchets de la région de Rungis) incinerator burns 130,000 tons of waste per annum on average, 75% of which is waste from the ten local authority members, and 25% waste from Rungis Market. The latter transports and recycles part of the heat obtained in this way for its clients (Centre commercial Belle-Epine, Senia zone, ADP, hotel zone, etc.) and for itself. As of 2012, article 80 of the “Grenelle de l’Environnement” will require the largest producers of organic waste (markets, canteens, restaurants, etc.) to provide selective collection of this organic waste (the fermentable portion), with a view to composting or methanization.
How Point E functions
To access Point E and the waste collection centre, the depositors (buyers or licence holders) must have a “green point” badge, separate from the access card for the Market. This badge is valid for one year and can be obtained at Rungis Accueil. Although located in the same place, Point E and the waste collection centre function differently, although the entry badge is the same. The depositor brings their vehicle to one of the entrance weighbridges, inserts their badge in the reader (entry weigh-in), then unloads their waste, before moving on to one of the exit weighbridges, inserting their badge in the reader (exit weigh-in), the difference being used to calculate the weight of the waste deposited. A deposit allowance of 12 tons per depositor per annum (all cards included) will be introduced as of 1 February 2010, with the counter reset to zero on 1st January every year. For companies
signing up to the service later in the year, the allowance will be adjusted accordingly. The vast majority of buyers dropping off waste at Point E are under this tonnage and will benefit from this allowance.
Four types of material are accepted at the waste collection centre: polystyrene, green waste, small office furniture, paper archives.
While licence holders are allowed to drop off the four types of material, buyers on the other hand can only drop off the first two. A pricing system per product has been set up. Depositing small office furniture and paper archives is free for licence holders.
As of 1 February, with the introduction of this pricing, the depositor will only be able to access the waste collection centre if they have already credited a sufficient amount to their badge at Rungis Accueil.
Advantages and benefits for depositors
The objectives for waste and packaging sorting and recycling ratios were raised in 2010 to better protect the environment. These objectives can be reached if everyone follows a few everyday steps, and with the investment and management decisions of all business actors. However, this policy means a rise in treatment costs that must be shared fairly. In this spirit, a financial contribution will be paid by all waste and packaging depositors in order to achieve the collective result desired by all the Market’s users.
The amount of this contribution has been calculated as fairly as possible at very competitive rates, compared to those applying in the majority of local authorities with the same level of technical facilities as Rungis Market.
Lastly, the capacity and highly flexible hours of Point E (3 am to 1.30 pm, Monday to Saturday) and the waste collection centre (Monday to Saturday: 1 am to 3 pm for polystyrene and 7 am to 3 pm for other deposits) offer depositors a unique and significant advantage for their activity.
Francis Duriez
( Source : Semmaris, Ademe, TNS - Sofres, Coved, ministère de l’Ecologie et du Développement durable)
Quelques réactions de professionnels
Crédit photo : FD
Gérard Lliso
(Sales Director of Select Agrumes - Rungis)
“We are specialized in fresh fruit (citrus, bananas, avocados, etc.), a large part of which comes from Spain and we have a packaging station near Valence. We use 90% wood (pine) and 10% cardboard for our packets. Wood is more resistant. Our company is increasing aware of and wholly supports this policy of selective waste sorting. Previously, we were not conscious of the cost that poor sorting, and hence poor recycling, represents. The personnel have been informed about the methods of selective sorting inside the company, particularly on the use of the grey and green bins. However, there is apparently a poor coordination in the allocation of these bins. For example, we need more grey bins than green because our organic waste volumes are higher. It would be better to take into account each Market operator’s needs for a more efficient collection.”
Crédit photo : FD
Joaquim Marques
( Fruiterer retailer at Massy 91 - member of the Le Fruitier bureau)
“I sell fruit and vegetables and dairy products. I’ve been going to Rungis Market every day for twenty five years. The waste treatment at Rungis has clearly improved a lot and that’s a good thing. It avoids the illegal dumps we used to see in the past. I personally drop off between 800 kg and 1 ton of waste at Point E every week. It is 78% wood (crates), with 20% cardboard and 2% plastic. When I arrive at Point E, my waste has already been sorted in my lorry. You need a large lorry for that because a retailer who just has a van can’t do it. Point E is an excellent initiative but there are sometimes dysfunctions at the gates that make us to waste precious time. We might also consider another sorting centre positioned near the Thiais entrance for a faster rotation of drop-offs.”
Crédit photo : FD
Mathieu Breton
(Business Manager of Coved, in charge of Ile-de-France corporate service)
“Coved (Collection, Recycling, Energy, Waste; 3,000 employees; €300 million turnover) is the “hygiene” department of the Saur group (13,000 employees, €1.5 billion turnover), specialist in water supply and purification in France and certain neighbouring countries. Since signing our agreement with Semmaris (for six years) on 1st April 2009, we are in charge of collecting, sorting and recycling the waste of Rungis Market. This is an exceptional showcase site for our whole group and it allows us to show our know-how. Rungis Market is split into two main activities for us: the selective collection of all the waste produced at the MIN and the sorting done at the Point E, which receives almost 45,000 tons of recyclable waste per annum (wood, cardboard, plastic, etc.). After the sorting centre, the waste is separated and recycled downstream in the relevant recycling sectors. Generally speaking, the three main products recycled are wood, cardboard and plastics. The rest goes to produce energy. We have prepared an information programme designed for Market operators called “Let’s sort better!” to increase their awareness of the different methods of sorting waste at source and particularly cardboard, for better recycling. The Market operators have been equipped with two types of bins: a green bin (reserved for selective collection of recyclable products) and a grey bin (for non recyclable products destined for the incinerator). Coved is contractually committed to increase recycling in order to reduce the amount of waste sent to the incinerator (boiler room); Coved pays the cost in excess of 31,000 tons. Recycling waste in the best possible way is essential for Rungis Market in terms of cost control, image and quality.”
Crédit photo : FD
Sylvie Piget
(Business Manager for Coved, in charge of the Rungis site)
“The Point E that I manage receives all the recyclable waste coming from Rungis Market (operators) and MIN clients (retailers), notably cardboard (in the majority), wood, paper, plastic, etc. The quantity delivered to Point E in this way represents about 45,000 tons (at parity between operators and clients-retailers), 40% of which is currently sent to the incineration centre. To successfully fulfil our duties at the MIN, we have 90 agents, about fifteen machines and ten lorries. Our personnel intervene on the sorting chain, cleaning the Market and recycling waste in premises with crushing equipment (fitted with sorting belts). Sometimes we find strange waste like tyres, bottles of gas and other objects, in which case we outsource the collection to a specialized supplier. We have the authority to report anyone caught in the act of illegal waste disposal and to inform the general safety department of the Market (Semmaris) so that they may be fined. It is important to remember that it is essential to ban smoking inside Point E and in the surrounding area to avoid any risk of fire. The internal rules of the site will be ready by mid-February 2010, specifying all the bans in force and the future drop-off times.”
Crédit photo : Dole
Adrien Chevallier
(Logistics Manager of Dole France/Groupe Cie Fruitière - Rungis)
“We sell about 58,000 tons of fruit at the Rungis site. We effectively produce the equivalent of six organic waste compactors every week, as organic waste represents the biggest volumes for us. In all, we have one compactor for the recyclable waste (collected three or four times a week), a compactor for the organic waste, a skip for wood, plastic and metal waste and nine dustbins. We obviously consider Point E indispensable and essential for our activity. While the method of functioning is satisfactory, the equipment supplied is not, however. In fact, we need to have instant reactivity on the maintenance of the organic compactor when it breaks down. Furthermore, our cardboard compactor should be better sized because it fills up quickly. As for our skip, it is used as a collective dumping ground because it is not closed. Sorting is an indispensable act, but you still need to have the necessary means available to do it.”
Crédit photo : TNS-SOFRES
Fabienne Simon
(Director of the polling strategy department of TNS - Sofres)
“Since 2004 - 2005, the concept of sustainable development has spread significantly in public opinion for a key reason: every French person has taken it on board personally, by making the direct link between health, quality of the environment and savings. Selective sorting of waste was one of the first “ecological actions” and the most important. It started in the 1970s, by returning glass in containers, which was a voluntary measure for everyone. Even today, glass remains the most and best sorted because it is a simple material. It is much harder for the other materials like plastics. The French are very committed to sorting and recycling waste and therefore very demanding with regard to the actors and sectors, whoever they may be. There is a dual demand, both for action and for visibility. To get results, the entire chain must pull in the same direction. If one link fails, the action no longer makes sense. In the matter of sorting, everyone agrees to do it. However, we notice discrepancies in practice. For instance, younger people tend to sort less and not as well. When the same young people form couples, they start sorting. The question of means is clearly important at all levels, from upstream (more environment-friendly packaging) to downstream (number of dustbins per home). The French consider sorting waste as an acceptable and accepted constraint, and it works. It is a little like the comparison between the thermal car and the electric car, the latter polluting less but with practical constraints that are far greater than the former. The French sort massively and are now entering the “Let’s Sort Better” stage. Sorting is an act that only makes sense if it is collective.”
Danyèle Hugon
(President of the Ile-de-France florist employers syndicate and Vice-President of the National Federation of Florists of France, member of the CCI Paris)