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France’s reusable revolution is entering its next phase. With the new industrial washing and logistics platform SEMELOG in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, one of Europe’s most significant infrastructure projects for plastic-free institutional catering is taking shape. At the heart of the system are reusable stainless steel GN containers. More than 500,000 GNauto containers from Rieber form the foundation of a closed-loop reusable system.
SEMELOG was initiated by French municipalities to meet the requirements of the EGAlim and AGEC legislation and to eliminate plastic containers from school and institutional catering entirely. The central washing and logistics facility will clean, dry, store, track and redistribute reusable containers for numerous central kitchens across the Île-de-France region.
With the capacity to support up to 160,000 meals per day and process around 40,000 GN containers daily, SEMELOG is setting new benchmarks for the large-scale implementation of reusable systems. State-of-the-art automation, digital traceability and intelligent quality control ensure the highest standards of hygiene and operational reliability.
A key element of the system is digital traceability. All GNauto containers from Rieber are uniquely identified in accordance with DIN 18849 and marked with an individual QR code. This enables every container to be identified and tracked throughout its entire lifecycle. From filling in the central kitchen to transport, serving, return and washing at SEMELOG, every stage of the process is digitally traceable and transparently documented.
For Rieber, the project demonstrates the long-term value of the globally established GN-System. For many years, the company has supported French municipalities in their transition from single-use to reusable solutions. Its robust GNauto stainless steel containers enable a closed-loop material cycle, from food preparation and distribution through to return and reprocessing.
“The GN-System is far more than a container standard. It is the foundation for sustainable, safe and digitally traceable food logistics. SEMELOG demonstrates how reusable systems can be implemented economically and sustainably on an industrial scale.”
By switching to reusable stainless steel containers, approximately 450 tonnes of plastic waste will be avoided each year. At the same time, municipalities benefit from more resource-efficient logistics, reduced water consumption and a sustainable, economically viable solution for institutional catering.
SEMELOG is therefore set to become a flagship project for the circular economy in institutional catering across Europe. The fact that Rieber’s GN-System forms the basis of this reusable cycle once again underlines the importance of standardised reusable systems in creating more sustainable food service operations for the future.