The new central kitchen in Angers was inaugurated on Monday 12 September 2022, in the presence of the Minister for Ecological Transition, the former mayor of Angers Christophe Béchu, who came to praise the merits of this “zero plastic” kitchen.
Built in the Hauts-de-Saint-Aubin district, near the Aquavita swimming pool, this new kitchen entered service in August 2022. She prepares 13,500 meals a day for the children of the nurseries and schools in the Angers area.
27 tons of plastic less per year
This Wednesday morning, two white-coated employees fill stainless steel cans with vegetable and feta pasta, a homemade dish that will be delivered to schools. Above all, this is where the fight against plastic is at stake.
“We have eliminated disposable plastic food trays in favor of reusable stainless steel trays, explains Sophie Sauvourel, who manages the central kitchen. This will allow us to avoid 27 tons of plastic per year. “
No more plastic plates in the canteens
” We pushed zero plastic until the label was removed, she adds, so we have an inkjet printing which is done directly in the stainless steel tray. “ Dirty bins come back to be washed on site before setting off for a ride.
The fight against plastic is not new in Angers. “More than two years ago we eliminated plastic plates in canteens, remembers the manager. Hence, we have gradually replaced plastic kitchen utensils with stainless steel. “
Reusable crates instead of boxes
The central kitchen also works with its suppliers to limit the packaging of the products they deliver. In one of the cold rooms, Anthony Routhiau, head of production and logistics, shows us a stack of blue plastic crates.
“The sautéed beef arrives in reusable boxes that we return to the supplier, whereas previously they were the cardboard boxes that we threw away, He explains. The milk is also in reusable buckets and crates are collected by suppliers, so we limit packaging. “
For now, five suppliers, all local, have switched to sustainable containers, including Crèmerie de l’Aubance, which pioneered this sector two years ago. “Of course it’s easier with local businesses, says Anthony Routhiau, but in the long run we hope to convince all our suppliers. “
More plastic in the kitchen
But plastic hasn’t completely disappeared from the kitchen. This Wednesday morning, the chopped melon cubes are still covered with a clear plastic sheet. “It is a hygienic measure and for the moment we have not found any other solution”assures Sophie Sauvourel.
The approximately thirty kitchen employees still wear plastic caps and surgical masks. “Well, it’s a question of health standards, says the manager. Washable masks are not allowed in the kitchen. “
As for the content of the dishes, the central kitchen buys 52% of its products locally, ie within a radius of 150 kilometers, while the organic share is 35%. “The pasta and milk are entirely organic and local”, emphasizes Sophie Sauvourel. On Wednesday the vegetables arrived from southern Brittany.
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