Heroes of Change contest 2024: let’s learn about all shortlisted projects!

Early June, we announced the 2 winners from the Heroes of Change contest. These wonderful projects were not the only successful and ambitious ones we received during the 2024 edition. In total, 10 initiatives were selected from the 40 projects submitted to do an oral presentation in front of the jury.

The 2 leagues and 10 shortlisted projects!

This year, Newrest created 2 leagues for the contest to enable smaller projects to have a chance at winning and highlight mature initiatives as such.

– CSR Revelations league: for recent and/or projects related to fewer pillars from our CSR charter “be the change”.

– CSR Champions league: for actions that create circularity thanks to their link to several CSR pillars and level of maturity.

CSR Revelations:

• Newrest Peru – Getting to know our collaborators:

This initiative is based on interviews with collaborators who have skills outside the company or who have a career at Newrest. This gives visibility and importance to each employee’s work, recognizing their achievements, desires and motivations, while raising awareness among all employees of values such as empathy and teamwork.

• Newrest Costa Rica – Health, motivation and retention:

This project is a set up of a number of recreational and sports areas to improve the quality of life and health of employees, as well as promoting employee retention. This initiative includes the installation of a table soccer area, a rest area, the organization of sports activities, and more broadly, the implementation of a healthy living program.

• Newrest Madagascar – A unique partnership:

Since March 2024, teams have been contributing with a monthly food donation of basic necessities to the life of Le Refuge d’Aïna, that takes in around 30 abandoned children. In addition, they organized a tea party, a Creole-style meal and for the Refuge’s anniversary, a festive meal with several workshops for the children.

• Newrest New Caledonia – Local products, it’s kalolo!:

From 2023, partnerships were made with several farmers from the island to offer 12,000 children more raw and local products on their school menu. The QHSE department worked with the suppliers by drafting product data sheets and carrying out referencing audits, with the aim of aligning their processes with our requirements.

• Newrest United States – Zero Landfill:

The unit from Salt Lake City has partnered with a company to reduce their landfill waste. They now divert food waste from landfill to a facility that converts it into natural gas that goes to the municipal gas pipeline, which then supplies around 40,000 people. The remaining by-product is used to help local farms grow their crops.

• WINNER – Newrest French Polynesia – Te mana o te patura’a:

They started to work with Te Torea, an association whose aim is to help homeless people back into the workforce. They are currently donating pallets every month, planning on purchasing furniture built by the association and joined the program which offers employment opportunities to the homeless.

CSR Champions:

• Newrest Zambia – Loctaguna Organic Farm and Food Forest:

Since 2022, the partnership with Loctaguna has led to the supply of over 9 tonnes of local and organic food. In addition, they have expanded the project by creating a canteen garden called food forest, based in their unit with the objective to ensure that staff receive the best possible quality food every day.

• Newrest Oman – Fruits of Labor:

In collaboration with clients, teams successfully converted isolated sites in desert areas into green gardens where a variety of fruits and vegetables grow (green chillies, papayas, melons, mint, tomatoes, drumsticks, lemons and watermelons). It results in an increased awareness and understanding of the importance of environmental protection.

• Newrest Laos – Local Farming Project:

To overcome their egg supply problem, they have added a new dimension to their ongoing project to develop local agriculture. The team set up partnerships with local farmers to provide them with intellectual resources as well as financing for structures and hens. In return, they benefit from fresh eggs, promoting local production.

• WINNER – Newrest Nigeria – Project Green:

In partnership with some public organizations, they organized an educational session for children from 7 public elementary schools. The different types of waste generated were identified and labelled thanks to our stickers. The children were trained to sort and dispose of their waste in the right garbage cans and best practices were shared.

All these projects, coming from our collaborators’ efforts, are highly inspiring and deserve Newrest’s gratitude. Congratulations again to all countries for their proactivity by implementing great actions that contribute to the achievement of Newrest Group commitments.