Environment

The environment and management of natural resources

Our policy is to respect and protect the environment by managing natural resources, controlling emissions and recycling waste.

AIn order to balance the sometimes conflicting demands of business growth and environmental protection, an Environment Working Group was established in September 2002. The group meets regularly to:

• Identify priority initiatives
• Raise our teams’ awareness of the importance of recycling waste
• Identify and share best practices
• Encourage the use of products carrying eco-labels or that are certified as low carbon footprint.
• Monitor regulatory changes.

The Environment Working Group also carries out numerous site audits every year.

Managing natural resources

As a signatory of the UN Global Compact, we are committed to actively protecting the environment by encouraging eco-citizenship, reduced energy consumption and efficient waste management across our businesses.

Elior's Purchasing and Logistics department selects both food and non-food products that comply with the 10 principles of the Global Compact, focusing on recyclability, limited and optimised packaging, electric vehicles and organic and fair trade products. In response to similar concerns about preserving biodiversity and marine wildlife, we stopped serving endangered species such as roundnose grenadier and orange roughy in our restaurants in 2006. Furthermore, we only use environmentally friendly detergents.

As a responsible foodservices company, we participate in the effort to reduce energy consumption, mainly through our subsidiary Avenance, by playing an active role in the construction of eco-buildings with energy efficient, carbon neutral equipment such as:
• Energy efficient electrical appliances
• Heat recovery devices on cooling system condensers and dish washers
• Automatic detergent dosing systems
• Energy-saving lighting.

More generally, we integrate environmental criteria into the day-to-day management of our business, by:
• Using recycled paper for various purposes, such as pay slips, internal newsletters and napkins.
• Making sure to use "green" packaging printed using environmentally friendly inks.
• Ensuring that the new uniforms for our Contract Catering staff in France were made from fabrics bearing the Yamana "Fibre Citoyenne" label.

Waste management

Elior has made it one of its priorities to play an active role in minimising waste generation by using bulk, wholesale and reusable packaging.

In partnership with a company called Bonnet, we have created a selective waste sorting bin that can be easily integrated into the table-clearing process based on local waste treatment capabilities. Two companies approved by the French regional water quality agencies, collect and pre-treat used cooking oil from our restaurants, guaranteeing the traceability of the treatment process. Our waste treatment facilities use the most environmentally sound techniques available, such as reed-bed treatment systems. Water quality is regularly monitored and analysed, and detailed specifications have been drawn up for the maintenance of grease tanks in central kitchens, corporate restaurants and school canteens. The Environment Working Group draws up recommendations relating to the scale and frequency of the tank-emptying process, based on activity levels at each site.

Organic farming

Since 2000, we have selected suppliers and defined product ranges with the aim of integrating more organic foods into our Contract Catering business.

Partnerships have been set up with producers and distributors, and educational initiatives have been launched to build awareness and promote support for organic farming. In 2003, our Food Quality and Safety department drew up a special set of specifications for organic produce. In May 2007, we launched a first set of meetings and workshops focused on “Organic Produce in Contract Catering” with the French Organic Trade Association (SYNABIO) and students from France's HEC business school studying for a master's degree in Sustainable Development Management. Our partnership with SYNABIO has since been extended with the creation of working groups dedicated to incorporating more organic products into contract catering.

Attesting to our commitment to promoting organic farming, Avenance is assisting the city of Lyon in its programme to promote the use of organic fruit and vegetables, cereals, meat, poultry and dairy products.
The central kitchen in Lyon currently produces meals made primarily from organic produce for 140 state-run schools:
• 15% of bread is organic
• 50% of poultry portions (mainly chicken and turkey) are organic
• 50% of poultry are certified as slaughtered at over 45 days
• 50% of fruit and vegetables served are organic, i.e. two fruits served to the children per week
• 50% of fruit purees are organic

Avenance purchases directly from organic producers, without using middlemen, to ensure regular deliveries.
Fifty percent of the meals that Avenance Italy delivers to schools, representing more than 30,000 meals per day, are largely or entirely organic. For example:

• Montemurlo, representing 1,100 meals, has 60%

• organic menus and organic certification.

Avenance Italy has worked in partnership with the Italian Organic Trade Association (the AIAB) and its 16 regional branches for many years, to raise the proportion of organic food on its menus. It has played a more active role by:
• Conducting awareness-raising sessions concerning organic farming
• Participating in the "Organic Sunday" (Biodomenica) event
• Organising educational sessions
• Organising the “Little Chef” (Graine de Chef) competition designed to encourage children to learn to cook using organic vegetables.

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