Heroes of change contest 2025: let’s learn about all shortlisted projects!

Once again this year, the successful candidates were classified into two distinct leagues:

• “CSR Revelations” League : dedicated to precise and/or incipient actions.
• “CSR Champions” League : rewarding cross-disciplinary and durable actions linking several pillars of the Newrest CSR charter.

Health on the plate is a project aimed at sustainably improving the health of vulnerable populations in the Moquegua region, by strengthening the production capacities of community canteens through training in healthy and sustainable food.

The training program is structured around four modules:

– food handling,

– nutrition

– financial management,

– customer service,

193 members from 32 community canteens were trained. The project combined theory and practice, incorporating accompanying visits, gastronomic competitions and a reward system to encourage the application of good practices.

Newrest Denmark has partnered with Banana CPH, a local company that transforms surplus bananas into tasty cakes packaged in recyclable paper boxes.
These desserts replaced options previously packaged in single-use plastic in economy class meal trays.
Deployed in Scandinavian units (Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo), this initiative considerably reduces the amount of plastic packaging (almost 100,000 plastic packages per month) and participates into the fight against food waste (4.2 tons of bananas saved to this date).

As part of its partnership with BAB RAYAN, Newrest Maroc is launching a training program dedicated to the catering industry, in collaboration with the CFI center. The aim of this project is to meet the specific need for qualified personnel in the catering sector, while offering a professional integration opportunity to people in precarious situations or seeking professional opportunities, the first program of its kind in Morocco.

The 40-week training course includes 28 weeks of theoretical classes at the training center and 12 weeks of practical work experience at the company, enabling trainees to acquire both solid technical skills and a first practical experience in a professional environment.

Every child deserves a chance in life. This is why Newrest Uganda decided to collaborate with the NGO Hands for Hope, which helps disabled children living in the slums, where living conditions are particularly precarious.
Faced with a lack of access to drinking water, food, education and healthcare, Newrest Uganda decided to support the design and construction of a classroom meeting the specific needs of the children concerned.
This initiative will enable these young people to benefit from access to education, balanced meals and appropriate clothing, thus contributing to a long-term improvement in their daily lives.

As part of its drive to reduce food waste, Newrest Wagons-Lits France has set up an innovative system for reusing fresh products with a short use-by date, as soon as it returns from the trains.
The aim is clear: to return these products to the sales system as quickly as possible, in order to maximize their consumption and limit their disposal.
This initiative involved a targeted reorganization of the production teams, including the pooling of two key positions and specific training for the employees concerned. Since its deployment in mid-January 2025, the results have been convincing: the rate of products discarded because they have exceeded their best-before date has been almost halved.

The aim of this project is to strengthen the socio-economic development of communities located around mining operations, by improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the local production chain.
To this end, a factory has been set up in the Cesar area, in the heart of the mining area, to transform local agricultural products – such as yuca and ahuyama – into ready-to-eat food products. These products are designed to meet the expectations of urban families and institutions looking for practical solutions, without compromising on nutritional quality.
Today, the plant generates income for women heads of the family and contributes to boosting the regional economy by developing under-exploited agricultural resources until then.

At Newrest Chile, a multi-disciplinary team has designed an innovative, sustainable solution: a mobile, solar-powered hydration point designed to improve working conditions in mining environments.

Constructed from recycled scrap metal, the device aims to reduce the use of plastic while providing a source of fresh water for workers exposed to extreme temperatures.

Newrest Mexico set up an inclusive program to encourage the professional integration of people over 55, by promoting their expertise and know-how within the teams.

This initiative reflects the conviction that experience is a lever for collective performance. By integrating senior talents, Newrest strengthens intergenerational diversity, stimulates the transmission of skills and contributes to creating a more balanced, harmonious and high-performance working environment at every stage of professional life.

 

Congratulations to all participants for their exemplary commitment.
These projects give concrete expression to our ambition in terms of social responsibility, and are a real source of inspiration for all our teams.