ÖKOPROFIT ENTERPRISE
Hamburg Wholesale Market firmly believes in environmental management

In April 2010 Hamburg Wholesale Market become one of Hamburg’s ÖKOPROFIT enterprises. For an entire year the largest centre of fresh produce in the north participated in the 13th introductory course to ÖKOPROFIT, a model environmental programme for business premises.

In May 2009 Hamburg Wholesale Market embarked on an extensive programme of facility refurbishment. Everyone agreed that environmental considerations should be included when planning the work that needed to be done.  Therefore the centre of fresh produce decided to take part in the “Environmental project for integrated eco-technology”, or ÖKOPROFIT for short. This is a certification system designed to develop measures that will help to lower energy consumption and operating costs for business enterprises – and benefit the environment.

Hamburg Wholesale Market set up an environment team whose members, together with 14 other participants in the programme, attended a variety of workshops on various aspects of environment protection in the workplace. At the same time the Wholesale Market team held talks with experts who visited the premises to discuss possible savings.

Based on results, the team developed an effective environment programme. The first steps have already been successfully implemented, for example the lighting has been renewed in various parts of the Wholesale Market hall and the heating system has been fitted with the latest pump technology. The measures introduced to date have enabled the Wholesale Market to reduce its annual consumption of electricity by around 267,500 kWh.

At a ceremony held in Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on 23 April, a certificate was presented to the Wholesale Market identifying it as one of Hamburg’s ÖKOPROFIT enterprises.

Torsten Berens, managing director of Hamburg Wholesale Market, is delighted that the market has gained the certificate: “For a major business enterprise such as Hamburg Wholesale Market, it is important and appropriate to participate in this kind of project. The fact that soothing our environmental conscience also saves money naturally makes it all the better. To date the annual savings have amounted to 26,500 euros and further measures starting next year will increase this sum to around 66,000 euros.”
The Wholesale Market has joined the ÖKOPROFIT Club so that it can develop its environmental programme further. At the club, people from the market can talk to other members, hear about the latest developments in environmental law and renew certification once a year.

The Wholesale Market scores with important certificates

North Germany’s fresh produce centre takes quality and hygiene just as seriously as its environmental management. In June 2008 quality re-certification in accordance with the stricter standards of the new DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 was confirmed. In September 2009 the high standards of food hygiene were officially documented with the HACCP hygiene certificate. In the long term the Wholesale Market wants to build an integrated management system to link quality, hygiene and environmental management with each other.

Hamburg Wholesale Market is the North’s centre for fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers

More than 400 firms employing a total of 2,400 people operate on the wholesale market site and turn night into day. The market’s customers are not only retailers who run greengroceries and street market stalls, but also restaurants, catering companies and large canteen kitchens. Clients appreciate the freshness, quality and variety: whatever a customer is looking for – conventionally-grown fruit and vegetables or organic produce, local-grown products or imports from Europe and overseas – at Hamburg Wholesale Market he is sure to find it.