As part of its continuous improvement approach, and with the ambition of offering a healthier and more sustainable range of products in its restaurants, Center Parcs is today, Thursday 19 May 2022, signing an eco-responsible commitment charter with its partner Areas, which is responsible for the parks’ catering and retail services. This approach aims in particular to reduce food waste, limit the use of single-use products and the volume of waste, as well as to offer its customers and staff a wider choice of organic, vegetarian, local and seasonal products.

Between innovation and improving the customer experience

In an increasingly responsible, respectful and supportive approach, and in line with its CSR strategy, this charter enables Center Parcs to take a new key step:
“The attention paid to sustainability and the reduction of our ecological footprint are important pillars of Center Parcs”, says Erwin Dezeure, CSR Director Center Parcs Europe. “This pushes us to continue to innovate, particularly in the area of catering. In response to our guests’ new expectations, we are delighted to be able to offer them more healthy, vegetarian and vegan options. By signing this new charter with our long-standing partner Areas, we are taking a further step in Center Parcs’ environmental and social commitment.”

Areas has been working with Center Parcs for the past 12 years to manage all of its catering outlets on its seven estates in France. Fabien Belle, Director of Areas France Leisure Operations, said: 

“We are very pleased with the relationship of trust that unites us with Center Parcs. This partnership has enabled us to work together on concrete commitments to reduce waste and promote more environmentally friendly food and choices for our customers. The environment and, more broadly, CSR raise a lot of expectations on the part of consumers, but also on the part of our teams. We want to meet these expectations but we also believe that, as a key player in the French restaurant market, we have a social duty to make concrete, ambitious and realistic commitments.”

Concrete measures 

In order to accelerate its responsible approach, Center Parcs is committed to pursuing and developing innovative and concrete actions in favour of sustainable development. The brand has thus committed, with Areas France, to achieving 7 objectives by 2026: 

1.    PROPOSING A MORE SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT: Areas gives priority to local and national sourcing. All table service restaurants and shops also offer a choice of products from responsible agriculture (organic, fair trade, labelled or regional) as well as a vegetarian offer. The eggs offered are French and come from free-range hens. The whole chickens and chicken legs are ECC European Chicken Commitment and Label Rouge certified. By 2026, Center Parcs and Areas are committed to developing the EEC poultry range, as well as the range of fish from responsible and sustainable fishing, including environmental requirements to protect endangered fish species. The range of fair trade products
for coffee, tea, herbal tea and chocolate will also be developed.

2.    LIMIT SINGLE-USE AND WASTE VOLUME: by having eliminated single-use straws, cutlery, stirrers, plastic cups and plates and by educating guests to use a minimum of cardboard packaging. By 2023, Center Parcs and Areas are committed to eliminating all single-use tableware for on-site consumption, replacing it with reusable tableware. Numerous actions will also be implemented in the restaurants to combat food waste, such as the introduction of end-of-day promotions.

3.    IMPROVE THE VALUE OF RESIDUAL WASTE: numerous selective sorting bins are available in the Center Parcs estates, enabling the collection of bio-waste in particular. By 2023, metal cans and PET bottles will also be sorted.

4.    SUPPORT WELL-BEING AND FIT@WORK: the charter also takes into account the well-being of the teams, who benefit from healthy and vegetarian options in the company restaurants.

5.    PARTICIPATING IN CUSTOMER AND EMPLOYEE AWARENESS: by inviting them to take part in initiatives led by the domains such as Sports Day, Earth Hour, World Clean Up Day or Sustainable Development Week.  Numerous “Green Attitude” tools, such as a booklet on saving fluids and reducing waste, have also been developed.

6.    SUPPORT LOCAL OR NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: by perpetuating partnerships with associations in connection with food donations with Les Restos du Cœur, Le Secours Populaire and La Croix Rouge.

7.    PARTICIPATING IN THE GREEN KEY APPROACH: in order to respect and maintain all the Green Key criteria in line with the regulations in force in the industry.

About Areas :
The Areas Group is the world’s 3rd largest travel & leisure foodservice company with 1,900 restaurants and shops in 10 countries. As a leading travel retail foodservice operator for over 50 years, Areas is present in airports, railway stations, motorway service areas and leisure parks. Based on a culture of operational excellence, Areas has a deep understanding of consumer expectations and a wide range of concepts that enable it to offer a perfectly tailored mix to the 350 million customers it serves each year.

In France, Areas is a key player in the sector with more than 550 outlets on motorways, in stations and airports. Areas also exclusively manages the catering and food shops of all Center Parcs properties.

For more information: https://areas.com/en/

Press contacts: 
Marie Gesquière | TADDEO : marie.gesquiere@taddeo.fr – Tel : 06 26 48 97 98