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

On June 16, we announced the two winners of the Heroes of change contest. While their projects stood out to take first place, other projects in the 2025 edition were also ambitious and of high quality. Of the 32 applications submitted, 10 were selected for oral presentation to the jury.

The 2 leagues and 10 shortlisted projects!

As last year, projects were divided into two distinct categories:

CSR Revelations League: rewarding precise and or incipient actions.
CSR Champions League: rewarding cross-disciplinary, durable initiatives based on several pillars of our CSR charter.

CSR Revelations:

Newrest Peru – “Health on the plate“:

Health on the plate is a project whose aim is to train members of community canteens in healthy and sustainable eating. The project aims to strengthen soup kitchen production capacities in the province of Mariscal Nieto, Moquegua region.

Through a program structured in four modules:
– food handling,
– nutrition
– financial management,
– customer service,
193 members from 32 community canteens were trained. The project combined theory and practice, integrating accompanying visits, gastronomic competitions and a reward system to encourage the application of good practices.

Newrest Denmark– “Banana Rescue“:

Newrest Denmark has partnered with Banana CPH, a local company that transforms surplus bananas into tasty cakes packaged in recyclable paper boxes.

These desserts have replaced options previously packaged in single-use plastic in economy class meal trays. Deployed in Scandinavian units (Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo), this initiative eliminates almost 100,000 plastic packaging items per month, while reducing food waste.

Newrest Morocco – “Catering training“:

As part of its partnership with BAB RAYAN, Newrest Maroc Services 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 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.

Newrest Uganda – “Hands for hope“:

Every child deserves a chance in life. That’s why Newrest Uganda has 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 the precarious living conditions of some of these children – marked by 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 lasting improvement in their daily lives.

CSR Champions:

Newrest France – “Fresh food recycling“:

As part of its drive to reduce food waste, Newrest Wagons-Lits France has set up an innovative system for reusing fresh produce with a short use-by date (BBD), as soon as it returns from the trains.

The aim is clear: to return these products to the sales circuit as quickly as possible, in order to maximize their consumption and limit their disposal.
This initiative involved a targeted reorganization of 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 thrown away due to out-of-date shelf-life has been almost halved.

Newrest Colombia – “Ready-to-eat foods“:

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 plant has been set up in the Cesar department, in the heart of the mining corridor, to transform local agricultural products – such as yuca and ahuyama – into ready-to-eat foods. These products are designed to meet the needs of urban families and institutions looking for practical solutions, without compromising on nutritional quality.
Today, the plant generates income for local women heads of household and helps to boost the regional economy by developing hitherto under-exploited agricultural resources.

Newrest Chile – “Autonomous solar-powered water point“:

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 – “The taste of experience“:

Newrest Mexico has 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.

Well done again to all participants for their commitment. All these projects reflect the Group’s commitment to the environment and social responsibility, and are a real source of inspiration.