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Responsibility

Awareness and sustainability
at the heart of Avène-les-Bains

Recognising nature’s vital role and powerful and yet fragile character, as well as our social responsibility, we have been developing many actions around the river basin. Each of the entities at the thermal centre is therefore committed to responsible management methods and seeks to make progress in improving its contribution to the challenges of sustainable development. 

The natural spaces

  • On our land, we practice zero phyto.
  • Sustainable management and monitoring of forest health are provided by the ONF (National Forestry Organisation) and the CNPF (National Center for Forest Property)3. 
  • The Park, approved as a Refuge by the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux (LPO, Bird Protection League), is now home to 63 species of birds – eight more than three years ago4.
  • The Park is recognised as a potential refuge for otters, a sign of the quality of the

Data:

3 - The Office Nationale des Forêts (National Forestry Office) is responsible for managing the state-owned forests of the impluvium (excluding thermal parks) and the Centre National de la Propriété Forestière (National Center for Forest Ownership) is responsible for private forests. 

4 - According to the 2019 results of the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux (Bird Protection League).

 

The Avène-les-Bains
basin

  • 86% of the purchases made on the thermal site are made at local companies in France and nearly 50% of these purchases made in the region of Occitanie1.
  • The Avène impluvium agricultural holdings are accompanied by a process of continuous improvement of their practices through agricultural diagnostics.
  • The Avène production plant is the largest employer in the Grand Orb community of municipalities and the 10th in the Hérault department2.
  • 80% of the thermal site employees (production plant, thermal baths and hotel) live within a radius of 30 km around Avène-les-Bains (Bédarieux, Lodève and Ceilhes triangle).

Sources and data:

1- 2019 data – purchases on Avène sites: production plant, thermal baths and hotel

2- 2019 data from the Occitanie Chamber of Commerce

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The Water Research Center

  • 40,000 checks are carried out on average per year by the Water Research Center to guarantee the quality of Avène Thermal Spring Water.
  • The controls are guaranteed by ISO 17025 accreditation5.
  • We educate our guests on the management of

Data:

5- The checks carried out by the Water Research Center are guaranteed to be credible and impartial. Awarded by COFRAC for its sampling activities, physicochemical and microbiological analyses, this accreditation places the Water Research Center at the same level of excellence as establishments responsible for the sanitary control of drinking water.

 

The Avène Hydrotherapy Center

  • The Avène Hydrotherapy Center was the first dermatological hydrotherapy spa to be certified AQUACERT HACCP Thermalisme® in 20106. 
  • The only French hydrotherapy centre where the thermal spring water is monitored by a Water Research Center.
  • More than 300 patients are treated every day at the

Data:

6- Certifies the health safety of thermal spring water and its use in the context of thermal treatments provided to spa guests (spa hygiene, compliance with standards and protocols, microbiological monitoring of thermal spring water, medical monitoring of spa guests).

 

 

The production plant

  • Avène’s production plant has been ISO 14001 certified for its environmental management since 2017.
  • 100% of power consumption comes from renewable sources of energy, with no direct CO2 emissions².
  • The town’s water consumption has halved since 2012⁸.
  • The building home to the final stage of the aerosol production line was constructed using an NF Haute Qualité EnvironnementaleTM (high environmental quality) experimental approach for industrial buildings⁹.

Data:

8 – Factory and Hydrotherapy Center, versus 2019

9 – Certified by Certivéa, a COFRAC accredited body – an HQE™ experimental approach is a voluntary process for the construction of industrial buildings. It reflects a balance between respecting the environment, quality of life and economic performance through a global approach and attests to the fact that the building reaches a level higher than the regulations in force. It is used to control the impacts on the external environment by eco-construction (harmonious relationship of buildings with their immediate environment, integrated choice of construction processes and products, low-nuisance site, etc.) and by eco-management (management of energy, water, activity waste, upkeep and maintenance, etc.)

The hotel

  • The hotel is bioclimatic in design and part of its domestic hot water is produced using solar panels installed on the roof.
  • 80% of the fresh products served at the hotel were produced in a radius of fewer than 100 km7.
  • 82% of waste is reused or recycled7.

Data:

7- 2019 data

 

 

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