The Areas for Change Program
Areas for Change is our way of making a real difference. It’s all about running our business responsibly—cutting waste, using less energy, and lowering emissions, all while serving fresh, locally sourced food and healthier options. But it’s not just about the planet; it’s about our people too. We’re creating a better work environment for our teams because we believe that growing as a business should also mean doing good for the world around us.
Fostering well-beign, diversity, equality and inclusion
At Areas, we are deeply committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. We actively support initiatives that break down barriers and create fair opportunities for all, embracing diversity across age, gender, disability, and cultural backgrounds.
We also collaborate with organizations that help us provide job opportunities for individuals at risk of social exclusion and people with disabilities. Additionally, we prioritize the well-being of our teams by focusing on development, open communication, and workplace safety.
Giving back to local communities
Helping communities, sourcing our ingredients locally and promoting a healthy diet
We help communities and lead the change by partnering with organizations that focus on social justice and equality, providing support to initiatives that help local communities in all our countries, fundraising for humanitarian crisis, volunteering, supporting risk groups and leveraging our network to make donations.
We source our ingredients locally and our offer is multicultural and ethical.
We promote a healthy and balanced diet within our costomers through campaigns promoting the benefits of healthy choices within our customers, customized meals plans based on guests’ individual health goals and preference, the increase of healthy products in our offer and the Green Areas menu, with only vegetarian and vegan products.
Empowering our people for Positive Impact
We develop and implement volunteer programs across all the countries where we operate. Through volunteering, Areas is actively linked and involved with society, expressing its responsible commitment. To do this, it collaborates with its most important resource: our employees.
To preserve the resources of our planet, at Areas we promote initiatives to increase awareness around recycling and circular economy for all teams.
Reducing our carbon footprint
We have developed and implemented a carbon footprint reduction plan with defined action and impact estimation in all our countries:
Recycling of used oil giving a second life to this resource used in our day-to-day activity.
Circular economy programs such as circular packaging project and uniforms circularity project.
No single-use packaging initiative, that seeks to implement the Deposit, Return and Refund System (DRRS) in the main food service establishments.
Implementation of energy saving, water and heating cooling reduction plans.
Installation of green energy and photovoltaic panels on travel plazas.
Increase the use of energy efficient tech and equipment across the company’s operations.
Developing strategies to reduce food waste
We keep developing strategies to reduce food waste resulting from daily unsold surplus:
- Partnerships with Too Good To Go and Phenix
- Last-minutes promotions for unsold products of the day
- Availability of leftover food to take away
Leadership programs and cultural transformation
At Areas we have leadership programs and skills training to empower Areas’ team to drive positive change across the organization.
Innovation to fuel the future of travel
Innovation in sustainability and circular economy, AECOC’s Open Innovation Platform (PIA) brings together the HORECA channel to work together on innovative and collaborative proposals to respond to the challenges that will mark our future.
We want to promote our commitment by involving the experience of sustainability in our brands, generating sustainability awakening, including health and well-being programs and by been committed to generating ecological and social impact.
Our travel hospitality experience
Creating more responsible brands
We commit to our franchises, landlords and suppliers ESG initiatives, increase the number of brands with a purposeful advantages in our portfolio.
They include vegetarian and vegan, and flexitarian menus.
We have new Food Stores and Restaurants that push the sustainability agenda.
We have sustainable retail spaces in terms of construction, use of energy and resources.
We have facilities that enable the behavioural change.
Know more about our brands
The Areas for Change Challenge
It is an initiative that invites startups to propose innovative solutions aimed at addressing important issues in the travel retail sector.
As part of our company’s ESG strategy, which focuses on People, Planet, and Future, we look for ideas that provide healthier food options for on-the-go consumers, improve waste management, and integrate digital or robotic innovations to make operations more efficient.
This challenge has already seen three editions, highlighting our continued commitment to driving change and promoting sustainability in the industry.
Know more about the winning startups of the 3rd edition