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2008 report
An increasingly reasoned activity
The many maintenance actions required to run Rungis Market follow sustainable development rules. SEMMARIS departments pay particular attention to water management, electricity consumption, heat and cold production, not to mention waste management and recycling.
The downward trend in water consumption that began in 2001 was further confirmed in 2008 at Rungis Market. With a million cubic metres purchased, compared to 1,075 for the previous year, this consumption has fallen by nearly 7% by consistent better management of facilities. Furthermore, the increase in the network’s yields has reduced water loss to less than 6%, causing a reduction in the SEMMARIS water budget in 2008, since the savings achieved more than compensated for inflation.
Ever greater electricity control
Electricity consumption was already stabilized in 2008, notably due to the good performance achieved in certain Market areas. It does not exceed 40 million kilowatts/hour, including 12.3 for indoor lighting (including general services), 10.3 for cold production and 4.6 for public lighting in particular. The replacement of all indoor light sources in buildings with low-consumption equipment is continuing. Furthermore, the upgrade of these facilities included the transfer of indoor lighting control to the sectors, which can now switch on and off according to real needs. This system used to be centralized and set to go on and off at set times. In the meantime, a study on public lighting was launched in 2008 and will continue in 2009, with a triple objective : to make facilities more reliable, to find more economical sources and to improve the Market's night-time security, both in terms of traffic and personal safety. It will try to determine the number and especially the type of lamps to install. In addition, the upgrade of high voltage systems in 2008 led to the replacement of three stations, which are used to prevent breakdowns. Two other high voltage stations will be replaced in 2009, while another station will be built to accompany the works on the new poultry pavilion. The latter will also be accompanied by the building of a new low-voltage station. Two low-voltage stations will also be replaced. Finally, after replacing the last two transformers in 2008, all transformers under SEMMARIS' responsibility are now PCB-free (polychlorinated biphenyls). This compliance with regulatory standards naturally extends to permanent control of the all facilities' conformity by approved bodies, whether for SEMMARIS' own facilities or private power systems, particularly to prevent fire hazards.
Green spaces to enjoyOver 80,000 square metres of lawn, over 26,000 square metres of turf, over 12,200 square metres of shrubbery, over 1,100 trees, hedges, window boxes, etc. Rungis Market is also a place where people live. Yet this aspect has long been ignored, because it is not its principal role. The Les Halles roundabout was rebuilt in November 2008 to add alternating flower beds corresponding to the four seasons. Besides these seasonal flowerbeds, it now has a series of colourful bushes and shrubbery to conceal the concrete blocks built to install decorations for Christmas and other events. A study was launched in 2008 to embellish all the green spaces at the Market.
When Rungis blows hot and cold
In 2007, Rungis Market's water supply yield rose by two points to 95%, thus reducing leakage to 5%, thanks to better maintenance on equipment. At the same time, the Market’s consumption barely rose to just over one million cubic metres, mostly due to the extension of the Eurodelta zone.
Furthermore, the sanitary monitoring of water was reinforced, indexed on veterinary service indicators, which are the most demanding in this area, given that all Market water in potable. Lastly, backflow prevention devices were installed to separate the Market’s surface water from the outside network and prevent accidental pollution .
Cleanliness is a major factor in Rungis Market's development; firstly, because cleanliness is an obligation for any wholesale food market; secondly, because the Market's activity naturally generates waste, such as fruit and vegetable packaging, for instance, which represents nearly half the Market's waste, or the polystyrene boxes used for fish; lastly, because the Market has a gigantic collective space, so SEMMARIS has to ensure that these areas are clean - particularly the roadways - whereas the operators naturally vouch for the cleanliness of the spaces they rent and the management of their animal-origin waste. These three major functions - waste, outdoor cleanliness, indoor cleaning - have been entrusted to three specialized suppliers. For the moment, two thirds of the Market's waste is still collected on the ground. That represents 15,000 tons a year, equivalent to the waste of a town of 30,000 inhabitants! An objective has been set to modify this proportion by encouraging a system of waste containers, which means selective collection. Four bins will be distributed to operators so that they can separate cardboard, plastics and pallets from the rest of their refuse. They will also have greater access to local compactors during the day.
Waste : reduction at sources continues
Finally, efforts to reduce waste at source are continuing. Better management of Point E has raised the recycling rate from 59% to 65%, notably by crushing wood from pallets, and by insisting on stricter rules about whether or not to accept non-recyclable waste deliveries. Similarly, better monitoring has led to a decrease in the tonnage from Point A. On 1st January 2008, a new organization was set up to increase organic waste recycling. A new site to ferment waste into compost has been selected at Claye-Souilly, in Seine-et-Marne. It will secure Rungis outlets, since it can be used at least until 2026.
The total tonnage in terms of waste treated and recycled dropped from 76,700 tons in 2007 to 73,500 tons in 2008 (it used to be 80,000 tons between 2000 and 2004 before it started dropping in 2005). However, waste is now 100% recycled: 53.3% to produce energy, 2.4% for recycling (pallets and crates), 10.9% organic recycling and 33.4% matter recycling.