On 30th March 2021, the second meeting of the working table was held at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, aimed at drafting the minimum environmental criteria for vending and for internal bar services and network water supply. A great work that aims to intervene on the specifications for the drafting of invitations to tender drawn up by the public contracting stations. The success of the work will make them part of green contracts and thus be able to draw on the resources of the recovery fund. A great commitment is asked of economic operators who see their current “habits distorted” but who will have positive implications for the development of their sustainable business.
Invited and present at the working table, institutions and associations of the various categories involved; everyone was asked to contribute with proposals and solutions aimed at monitoring and reducing the ecological footprint with positive repercussions on the health of the planet and people.
The Work Table
Given the progress of the previous meeting that in over three hours of WEBINAR had not gone beyond page five of 29, the coordinator of the table decided to open the work with a full and explicit presentation, so that all participants could clearly understood the motivations and objectives that prompted the Ministry to carry out these C.A.M.
In spite of everything, there were strong oppositions from the “business as usual” lobbies, as if they had not understood well what the Ministry expects and the great opportunity that is offered to them. I admit that in my long career I had never seen so many contradictions coming from the the parties at the table, a clear sign of irresponsibility.
Many of the associations that have opposed these C.A.M., represent companies that proclaim exactly the opposite. All sustainable and strongly committed to reducing their environmental footprint.
It is a pride for our Association to have received many of our contributions and published the sector data we have provided and processed.
An overall vision that we are convinced will make the food industry and the current distribution system reflect.
A brief summary below:
| The sector in Italy: data for 2019 | |
| Installed Machinery | About 850,000 year 2019 |
| turnover | 4,293,631,610 euro |
| Consumption | 15,998,000,000 annually |
| Average consumption dd | 1.63 with peaks of 2.5 in schools |
| Refined added sugars | 44,476.96 ton. an average per capita of 6.73 gr |
| vehicles | About 18,000 units of which about 94% diesel |
| Employees | 36,000 people |
| Amount of plastic | 43,260.29 ton. only in product containers |
| Glasses | 7,797,000,000 of which only 65,200,000 are not made of plastic |
Under a brief legend to better identify consumption areas:
| Legend | |
| Hot&Cold | Hot drink dispensers |
| Snack&Food | Distributors of snacks, drinks and food products 4° |
| O.c.s B2C Private | Coffee machines for private individuals |
| O.c.s B2C Managers | Private coffee machines operated by Vending managers |
| O.c.s B2B Capsules | Coffee machines run by Vending managers |
| O.c.s B2B Waffles | Coffee machines run by Vending managers |
| Glasses accessory | Automatic, semi-automatic both plastic and paper |
Type of packaging and materials used and present of vending machines.
| Then imballo | Product | In % |
| letter | Glasses and packs | 1,8% |
| aluminium | Cans | 0,0% |
| plastic | PET bottles | 25,1% |
| plastic | Snack and food containers | 29,7% |
| plastic | Glasses | 43,4% |
| Tetrapak | Juices and drinks | 0,1% |
Organic product offerings equal to 0.73% of the industry’s annual sales.
Although with different performance, different types of consumption are outweighed by the Large GDO which to date has a performance of 2.8% of the consume overall “outside and at home”. In both cases they are decidedly derisory and, in our opinion, these CAM will lead the way for a strong change of supply towards consumers. Use the minimum environmental criteria for vending in work at the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
Rest assured that for many it was a cold shower, no one opposed these data in a transparent and understandable way. It is essential knowing its impact, and in order to be reduced it must be quantified and valued.
The numbers should show us the way forward and not just deal with a small part of the problem.
On the subject of waste, it is clear that the weak point relates to the correct differentiation of waste which, by its very nature, is very different. One example for everyone is plastic; out of over 160 different types only eight are recyclable for many cycles of use.
In Italy, there are eight unions that manage the post-consumer waste chain and each is enabled to manage specific waste. Proper differentiation is enough to facilitate its reuse to recreate new raw material. We would then have turned a waste into a resource.
Low-impact sustainable production is also possible from the food industry. Use the minimum environmental criteria in work for Vending at the Ministry of Ecological Transition
Just want it!
I thank and congratulate the Ministry’s working group on the dedication with which they are managing this “hot table”
The President
Jean Claude Bontorin
