Greening the Tourist Office with daily actions, eco-actions and internal operations.
The Tourist Office is committed! As part of its Quality approach, but also out of conviction, the Tourist Office is committed to respecting the environment.
To reduce paper consumption:
- Opting for ecologically responsible printing: We work with a PEFC*-certified printer, guaranteeing that our publications comply with environmental standards and support sustainable forest management. For our daily needs, we have opted for recyclable A4 paper, certified FSC-C002321, European Ecolabel and compliant with the ISO 9706 standard. To limit our environmental impact, all our brochures can be downloaded directly from our website, encouraging the digital preservation of documents.
- Reasoned in-house printing: In our offices, we use reasoned printing. We prefer to print on both sides of the paper, and obsolete printouts are carefully kept so that the reverse side can be reused internally. In addition, a rigorous selective sorting is carried out by all employees.
- Digitalisation and reduction of printing: We limit the number of copies we print and prefer to distribute brochures ‘on demand’. In addition, we offer posters with QR codes for quick access to digital editions. We also limit the number of brochures sent by post. We keep a close eye on our document stocks to minimise unnecessary printing and optimise the use of resources.
Acting on what they control :
- Prefer sustainable and local materials: We choose sustainable solutions for our furniture, favouring wood over plastic, and eliminate ‘disposable’ items by using glass crockery. During the season, our teams wear organic cotton outfits and, wherever possible, we favour products that are ‘made in France’ or of European origin.
- Waste reduction and recycling : Waste sorting is a cornerstone of our environmental approach. We have several dedicated bins: paper, cardboard and pallets are taken to specific collection points. Copier and printer consumables are collected by the local authority.
- Support for local businesses and service providers: We promote local trade by working with local wineries for our gifts and events. For the printing of our paper editions, we work with a local company. On our website, we highlight service providers with the QT and EPN labels to promote their values and approaches.
- Eco-responsible mobility and organisation: To limit the environmental impact of our activities, we use webinars and videoconferencing whenever possible for training courses and technical days. If travel is essential, car-pooling is particularly favoured, in particular to limit our carbon footprint.
To reduce energy consumption:
- Optimising energy consumption: We take care not to switch on lights when there is sufficient natural light. Our premises are equipped with low-energy LED lighting, and outside lighting is synchronised with public lighting via a timer. To further limit energy consumption, we have installed motion detectors for lighting in the corridors and bathrooms. In unoccupied rooms, the lights remain switched off.
- Reasonable use of equipment and systems: Air conditioning and heating are used sparingly, giving preference to natural ventilation by opening doors and windows when the outside temperature allows. Electrical equipment such as lights and computers are switched off as soon as the offices are unoccupied. What’s more, our printers and copiers automatically go into standby mode and are set to duplex by default to save energy and paper.
- Monitoring and maintenance for responsible consumption: We carry out annual monitoring of our water and electricity consumption, which enables us to identify areas for improvement. Domestic appliances such as the fridge are defrosted regularly, and the coffee machine switches off automatically after use. Our sanitary facilities are equipped with dual-flush toilets and aerators on the taps, optimising our water consumption.
- Digital management and reduction of ‘electronic waste’: We encourage responsible use of our digital tools by limiting unnecessary responses to e-mails, regularly emptying the recycle bins and archiving updated content on the servers according to the instructions of the IT department. A battery collector is also available within the Office.
- Favour energy-efficient equipment: As part of our energy-efficiency approach, wherever possible we give preference to equipment with energy classes A, A+ and B. These choices enable us to reduce our impact while maintaining optimum performance for our activities.
For more information:
The Tourist Office has been awarded the ‘Accueil vélo’ label, demonstrating its intention to meet the expectations of an increasingly wide range of visitors who are keen to enjoy a holiday that is both gentle and active. The desire to be part of a sustainable tourism approach in a context where environmental issues are increasingly visible due to the impact of global warming on our daily lives. This label enables us to target a public used to ‘low season’ tourism, who like to take advantage of our tours when the temperatures are milder, and therefore to liven up the less busy periods.
