Waste Management at Hamburg Wholesale Market

1. Waste Management Waste Management at Hamburg Wholesale Market

2. Waste Management 1. Hamburg WholesaleMarket istheNorth‘sCentreofFreshProduceandoneofthebiggestmarkets in Germany The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg 1962 27 hectares 425 2,400 4,500 1.5m tonnes 2 billion euros 10 million consumers Fruit, vegetables, other foods, flowers, plants • Owned and operated by: • Build in: • Area: • No. of firms on site: • Employees: • Clients: • Turnover of produce: • Sales of goods: • Catchment area: • Range: Hamburg Wholesale Market is certified according to DIN ISO 9001:2008, ISO 22000 (HACCP-compliant hygiene management) and ÖKOPROFIT

3. Waste Management 2. A core task for wholesale market operators is to ensure the waste management system works effectively – Why? • Implementing any functioning waste management system costs a lot of money • But to have an inadequate system (where waste is not sorted, for example) or no system at all costs far more • In these days of steadily rising energy costs and a difficult economic environment for fruit and vegetable wholesalers, it is every wholesale market operator’s job to help tenants by keeping costs in check • Another crucial aspect is that a properly functioning waste management system is especially important in the overall context of controlling hygiene at wholesale markets • Many of the companies trading at Hamburg Wholesale market are subject to strict certification requirements dictated by their food retail chain or discounter customers. In this context, hygiene requirements in general, together with effective waste management, play a huge part

4. Waste Management 3. How is the waste management system organized at Hamburg Wholesale Market? • The current waste management system employed at Hamburg Wholesale Market is based on the German Packaging Regulation of 1991. The object of this legal regulation is to reduce environmental pollution from waste packaging and to promote the re-use or recycling of packaging. • The Packaging Regulation obliged manufacturers or sellers of products to take back, free of charge, waste packaging returned to their business premises or to somewhere very close by

5. Waste Management 3. How is the waste management system organized at Hamburg Wholesale Market? • In the first year after the Packaging Regulation came into force, the market operator arranged to have packaging taken back on the wholesale market site as required by law. At the end of 1991 the costs incurred were apportioned to the companies renting space at the Wholesale Market. The result was a considerable increase in companies’ costs. • Traders at Hamburg Wholesale Market therefore decided to lower these costs by taking waste management into their own hands. This led to the founding in 1992 of the GHVG administrative cooperative, Großmarkt Hamburg Verwaltungsgenossenschafte.G. This association currently represents about 95% of the market traders.

6. Waste Management 3. How is the waste management system organized at Hamburg Wholesale Market? • In 1992 a public-private partnership was set up whereby the operator of the wholesale market, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and the GHVG administrative cooperative formally agreed that responsibility for the waste management system should rest with the GHVG • The big advantage of making the traders responsible for waste management is that it encourages the members to maintain discipline in their ranks • In the ensuing years, the wholesale market operator, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, entrusted the GHVG with responsibility for site cleaning and sweeping, dealing with winter ice and snow and for security services at the entrances to the wholesale market • In 2012 the GHVG celebrated its 20th anniversary.

7. Waste Management 4. The GHVG waste collection point • Number of employees: 6 • Volume of waste for further processing per year: about 11,000 tonnes • In 2011 the following amounts were accepted: • Sorted packaging: 3,300 t • Perishable goods (loose): 2,700 t • Perishable goods (foil-wrapped/in nets): 1,250 t • Wood: 1,900 t • Cardboard: 1,000 t • Commercial waste: 700 t

8. Waste Management 4. The GHVG waste collection point • Customers using the collection point: • Members of the GHVG (red chip card) • Retailers, street market traders (blue chip card) • Market-based non-members (red chip card) • Costs • Perishable goods (loose): 1 kg, 0.10 euros • Perishable goods (foil-wrapped/in nets): 1 kg, 0.21 euros • Transport packaging (sorted): 1 kg, 0.06 euros • Commercial waste: 1 kg, 0.35 euros • Please note: These are costs to GHVG members. The charges for retailers/street market traders and market-based non-members are slightly different.

9. Waste Management 4. What happens at the waste collection point? • Access to the waste collection point is outside the Wholesale Market entrance gate, to prevent waste spilling onto the market site • Immediately before it drives into the collection point, the vehicle is weighed • Only then does the barrier open to let it pass

10. Waste Management 4. What happens at the waste collection point? • Waste is sorted and dumped into separate containers for different types of waste

11. Waste Management 4. What happens at the waste collection point? • Before the vehicle leaves the collection point after unloading, it is weighed again, in order to determine the volume of waste collected • Firms with chip cards are invoiced monthly, others pay in cash on the spot • The vehicle can then drive out of the collection point onto the wholesale market site or back onto the road

12. Waste Management 5. What happens if there is unauthorized dumping of waste on the wholesale market site? • Everyone using the wholesale market is bound by his/her contract to dispose of all waste at the GHVG collection point • The current system of waste management just described has proved effective. There are of course a few “black sheep” who try to socialize their disposal costs by dumping their packaging waste or perishable goods on the wholesale market site.

13. Waste Management 5. What happens if there is unauthorized dumping of waste on the wholesale market site? • CCTV monitoring and increased checks by the market supervisors should reduce the number of such cases to a minimum • If the person responsible can be identified, he is liable to be prosecuted for illegal dumping and fined heavily • Just recently, someone was fined 2,500 euros for illegally dumping half a pallet of perishable goods. On top of that, he must pay disposal costs at a higher rate

14. Waste Management 6. Summary • Hamburg Wholesale Market has a functioning waste management system that has proved its worth and has steadily evolved over the years • Of course, things can always be made that little bit better, and we shall continue to strive for the optimum • Therefore regular talks are held between the market director and the traders' cooperative • Increasingly demanding hygiene standards are forcing traders to exercise even greater self-discipline and this will help ensure that the waste management system works even more effectively

15. Waste Management 7. What happens to goods that are still fit for consumption but find no trade buyers? • The wholesale market directors, the traders’ cooperative and individual traders have been active supporters of the free food charity Hamburger Tafel for several years • Some 1,300 homeless people live in Hamburg, and 190,000 people receive benefits. The Hamburger Tafel gives the surplus produced by our society to some of its poorest members. Before edible food is thrown away, the Hamburger Tafel channels it to the needy via a network of social facilities in the city. The Hamburger Tafel loads the food collected onto a delivery van and takes it to where it can help many people in Hamburg by alleviating hunger and hardship. • There are similar free food charities in many other German cities too

16. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 The EHEC crisis in spring 2011A challenging time for many, including management at Hamburg Wholesale Market

17. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 1. The EHEC crisis in Germany Germany suffers world’s biggest known EHEC outbreak • 4,000 cases, 700 HUS complications and 51 deaths • Suspicion falls on“staples” such astomatoes, cucumbersand leafy salads • Bean sprouts are finally identified as cause • Long-lasting damage to businesses and consumer confidence

18. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 1. The EHEC crisis in Germany • The epidemic EHEC bacterium in Germany: E. coli type O104:H4 (also HUSEC41) • Very dangerous, very aggressive • Especially severe complication= HUS haemolytic-uraemic syndrome • Very serious effects: acute kidney failure, anaemia and neurological damage • Can result in death

19. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 1. The EHEC crisis in Germany Political circles, public authorities and offices • Severe criticism of political management of the EHEC crisis • Several different bodies involved in the search for the source of infection • Germany is a federal state • The scale of the problem was recognized too late • Doctors complain that reporting and receipt of information takes too long • Politicians do not see any problems with competences • A reorganization of competences is due

20. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 1. The EHEC crisis in Germany The “suspects” • Many types of vegetableand many growers • Local growers feel they have been unjustly pilloried • Rumours: vegetables are sprayedwith liquid manure

21. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 1. The EHEC crisis in Germany The media • The media produce the news themselves • “Low-fact catastrophe hype” say critics • Fear sells

22. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 1. The EHEC crisis in Germany Consumers • Steadfastly boycottedcucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce • Stocked up again as soon asthe all clear was given

23. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected Macrosphere • Industry/trade: warning against consumption leads to difficulties and threatens livliehoods Microsphere • North Germany is the epicentre of the outbreak • Growers in North Germany fall under blanket suspicion • Factors that affect the Wholesale Market> the discovery of 4 cucumbers from southern Europe, allegedly contaminated with EHEC> enormous media interest

24. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected Economic fallout • Undifferentiated warning against consumption from 25 May to 10 June > many experts say this period was too long> no definite findings regarding the threat from the produce existed> Growers, wholesalers and food retailers had thousands of voluntary tests performed in domestic and foreign laboratories which proved the safety of fresh fruit and vegetables • Consumers’ unwillingness to buy led to huge losses for growers and wholesalers> turnover was down by up to 90% at the height of the crisis> after the all clear, losses remained at 15-30%> even today, sales have not yet returned to their pre-crisis levels

25. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected Economic fallout • The Federal government put the lossesfor German vegetable growers at 16m euros • EU Commission will spend 210m euros to compensate European growers(50% of their income losses) • No compensation forwholesale companies

26. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected Damage to consumer confidence • Consumers have lost trust and this must be regained • Image campaigns are needed • The industry was unable to raise theco-financing for the EU programme

27. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected Crisis management • The discovery of 4 cucumbers allegedly contaminated with EHEC generated a huge amount of interest with the media, politics and the public • The situation made great demands onall in a position of responsibility • Active, systematic crisis management • External communications and ensuring that the Wholesale Market is “clean” and the market companies’ products are safe and reliable

28. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected The dropped crate theory • While tests are still being performed on the EHEC bacteria, a producer from outside Germany pours oil into the fire • “Dropped crate theory”: a pallet of cucumbers had become contaminated with the pathogen when it tipped over on the ground at Hamburg Wholesale Market • Allegation rapidly refuted> Pallet actually tipped over in a truck and fell against the side> Samples were taken from different parts of the load> Goods from one single pallet cannot possibly have caused so many primary infections with EHEC

29. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected External communications • Supplying proofs> Refuting the allegation that goods were contaminated at Hamburg Wholesale Market> Proof that the produce traded at Hamburg Wholesale Market is perfectly safe> Communicating information about losses sustained by growers and traders through no fault of their own

30. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected External communications • Strategy of transparency and opening up the Wholesale Market • All well-known publishers and TV channels visit the Wholesale Market • Enormous media presence, national and international reporting

31. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected External communications • Meeting the media in open, trusting manner, offering full access • Rustic, colourful statements

32. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 2. Role of the Wholesale Market and how it was affected Large-scale produce sampling • Traders immediately sendhundreds of samples away for voluntary testing for EHEC • Analysis results are publishedin a dedicated section of theWholesale Market website • The traders prove that theproduce examined is perfectlysafe

33. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 3. Experiences, lessons, recommendations Sensitizing • Precautions and follow-up action are important • The crisis can repeat itself, or reappear in a different form at any time, in any place • Post crisis is pre crisis • The length of the crisis determineshow long the damage lasts

34. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 3. Experiences, lessons, recommendations – what makes crisis management a success? Be active • Active, systematic crisis management Before the crisis (prevention phase) • Ongoing assessment of critical topics and risks, because risk management is preferable to crisis management • Establish early warning systems • Form crisis staff units; Conduct crisis training in-house During the crisis (intervention phase) • Far-sighted, calm attitude; Recognize own limitations • A key element – communication during the crisis! > Active, open, full; Transparency and dialogue> Keep media at a healthy distance • > PR should supply convincing arguments and “undramatize” the headlines

35. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 3. Experiences, lessons, recommendations Accept irrationality! • A sober look at some figures • Hype, scaremongering and prejudgments bear no relationship to the significance of the cause • Naturally, when people die, the matter becomes emotional Cause of Victims illness Yearly Daily Hospital bugs 30,000 80 Flu viruses 16,000 40 EHEC 2011 51

36. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 3. Experiences, lessons, recommendations Crises show where there is room to improve Precautions • Improving hygiene measures> shorter intervals between testing quality of drinking water> Alterations to cleaning and snow & ice clearing services • Improvements to processes for consultation and relaying information :experts’ workshops with authorities, analysis institutes and traders on thetopic of food safety Lebensmittel-sicherheit

37. Disaster Management - EHEC crisis 2011 3. Experiences, lessons, recommendations – The value of hygiene certification Maintaining high hygiene standards is a key management task • Wholesale Market certification> DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 Quality management system> DIN EN ISO 22000 Hygiene management system according to HACCP > ÖKOPROFIT Hamburg corporate environment protection • This engagement was very valuable in the EHEC crisis and alone in terms of arguing our case to the media has been worth the effort

38. Waste Management / Disaster Management Thanksforyourattention!