From the very first year of operation, in 2021, we have been determined to test and undertake eco-responsibility, with our main focus on waste.
At the end of 3 operating seasons, here are the commitments and actions we’ve taken, whether successful or not, but our plans for realization and improvement continue, with a redoubling of efforts in 2024.
Energy
Each time we create a new district, we replace electric lighting with solar power, directed towards the ground to avoid light pollution on biodiversity. This may not seem enough to you, but it’s the minimum we owe to the nature that lives here all year round.
All new accommodation is electrically powered. No gas, whose combustion contributes to carbon emissions and global warming.
What you can do to help :
- Heat your home with the air conditioner rather than the more energy-hungry radiators.
- Turn off the air conditioning if you open the windows.
Water
The controversial choice of individual rather than shared sanitary facilities has been made. The water savings are considerable! Between cleaning, use and the limited production of hot water, comfort is guaranteed with reasoned use. It’s also a welcome change from the “campers” who used to gather around the communal sanitary facilities to share moments like we did when we were kids: chatting while doing the dishes, smiling and saying hello on the way to the shower. But we accept this decision.
What you can do to help:
- While you’re waiting for hot water at your shower, collect the water to water your plants around it.
- Report any leaks you see to protect the resource.
Purchasing
A lot of our equipment is second-hand or recycled. Our office furniture, for example, the little scooters used by the campsite teams that you’ve all come to recognize, but also the concept of the carabanes, old renovated caravans.
So many objects produced that have acquired a second life for your service.
In 2024, we decided to stop buying disposable mattress protectors. We are equipping pillows and mattresses with washable covers. There’s no need for duplication. We’ll be clearing out our stock in 2023, but we’ve decided not to order any more.
In 2023, we opted for compostable disposable sheets. This initiative was more expensive and, on the face of it, more virtuous, but it did not produce the desired results. We’re going back to a disposable material, which the supplier will collect thanks to our cleaning service, which will store them. We’re talking about several hundred kilos of recycled waste.
What you can do to help:
- Try to eliminate individual packaging on your food and non-food purchases. Carry your favorite tote bag and don’t add to your rubbish.
- Small local producers and artisans meet up with you every summer at the craft market, so don’t hesitate to support made in France.
Green Spaces
The Tamarissière pine forest is a protected wood managed by the ONF. We have counted 18 different species of tree in the campsite forest.
We are not allowed to create hedges to demarcate pitches. That’s why we’ve invested in some red markers to help you find your way around.
These small hedges, especially near the sanitary facilities, and all the plants that grow naturally to form copses, such as the pistachio tree, help to create life in the very airy wood. We rarely mow to let nature take its course. The soil is acid with pine needles, and the plastic sheeting used by campers does not encourage regrowth.
What you can do to help:
- To keep the park clean at all times, keep an eye on the wind, which can play tricks on you and cause garbage left on the outside areas to fly away.
- Watch out for that pretty plant with multicolored flowers that you love to pick up and plant elsewhere: witch’s claw. This plant is invasive, suffocates other plants and can be destructive if it reaches the dune. We ask you to be extremely vigilant.
Communication
- By 2021, we’d be doing away with letters sent to the 4 corners of France and Europe with a mountain of documents, left in the cupboard or thrown away after you’d spent your vacations with us. E-mails have become the norm.
- In 2024, you’re reading this! the dematerialized welcome booklet has seen the light of day. More comprehensive than the paper version, it means you’ll never lose it, and you can consult it whenever you like, even before you arrive.
Don’t hesitate to share your other good ideas with us and give us feedback on our initiatives.
Services
Restaurant management companies have contractual operating clauses on the fight against waste, menu choice and vegetarianism, and the use of local and/or organic produce.
Waste
The heart of our mission. It’s not an easy task.
We have decided to set up only 2 sorting centers for the entire campsite. One at the entrance to the campsite, where you can find all the containers and compost in the same place, and the second near the village center for household packaging and garbage.
In addition to the fact that the French are lagging behind in sorting, seasonality and the large number of arrivals and departures mean that our containers are inadequate and saturated.
Our sole objective is to reduce waste at the point of consumption. Any waste not produced is not thrown away.