Faced with concerns over the availability of water resources, the group is particularly careful about its use of water during the mushroom growing and transformation processes. This vigilance can be seen in the measures taken to reduce needs, the recycling of water used during processes, and the treatment and filtering methods used before the water is discharged into the natural environment.


Economy measures:
As part of its sustainable development policy, the France Champignon Group adopts a civic attitude in order to save resources. Studies carried out by the group led to the implementation of works that have helped the Beaufort en Vallée factory to make a daily saving of 500m3 of water.

This policy of reducing demand on resources includes keeping a careful eye on the quality of the water used during the transformation process so that it meets the requirements necessary for ensuring consumer health. The group has recently invested in the installation of an iron and manganese removal station at the Beaufort en Vallée factory.

Sewerage measures:
The group also carefully treats the water that it uses to reduce the impact of its discharges into the environment, and has recently made a number of investments in this area:

• Construction in Longué of a unit for treating the water used for daily washing in the composting centre.
• Construction of a sewage station at the Doué La Fontaine factory.
• Construction of a screening station at the Beaufort en Vallée factory, which improves pre-treatment and reduces the amount of organic and mineral matter in effluents entering the town sewage station.

Discharge recovery:
Other investments have allowed the group to recover organic matter discharged in its water to be used for  agriculture:

• Waste water spreading plan (Thouars factory)
• Sewage sludge spreading plans (Doué La Fontaine, Beaufort en Vallée)

Agreements have been signed with farmers concerning the use of these products, which are an extremely useful source of soil enrichment. Spreading conditions (quantities, frequency, …) are very strictly regulated and subject to controls by the Water Authority and DRIRE.

The France Champignon Group has recently invested in a number of installations used to limit and control its discharges into the atmosphere:

• Replacement of a heavy oil boiler with a gas boiler at the Beaufort en Vallée factory to reduce carbon dioxide discharges
• Replacement of a boiler with a more efficient boiler at the Doué la Fontaine factory to reduce nitrous oxide discharges
• Securing of ammonia-driven freezing installations to reduce discharges of the gas into the atmosphere
• Securing of air-driven water-cooling installations to reduce the risk of the appearance and discharge of legionnaire's disease bacteria
  

The France Champignon Group has introduced a policy of recovering substances used during the mushroom-growing process.

Through the Agricultural Equipment Users' Cooperatives, a tripartite agreement has been signed between the France Champignon Group, farmers and the Chamber of Agriculture, which guarantees that what is left after cropping (containers of compost) will be spread on crops as part of a series of good practices monitored by the Angers Chamber of Agriculture.

The group also ensures that its transformation waste is treated by approved agents so that it can be monitored up to final elimination.