Established in 2005, the Bénéteau Foundation encourages and promotes environmental protection in the worlds of sailing, construction and accommodation, through innovative projects brought to light by an annual competition for young designers. In 2019, the theme of this competition was “The Campsite and its Environment”. Supported by Nicolas Dayot, Chairman of the French Federation for outdoor accommodation, this project showcased innovations in landscape design and site layout. The Foundation pursues its commitment to social responsibility day in, day out, and constantly invests in research.
Beneteau division habitat
Environmental
commitment
commitment
The values of the Bénéteau Foundation
Commitment
The Habitat Division’s social responsibility policy
Respect for the Environment is our future. Over 25 years ago we made a choice to protect it, by using a clean and high-quality material: wood. Our mobile homes are made of 88% timber sourced from sustainably managed forests. In the same spirit, we select all of our suppliers on the basis of their commitment to the environment and sustainable management of resources. All of our suppliers also sign the sustainable procurement charter. The purpose of this charter is to forge sustainable and balanced relationships between customers and suppliers, based on mutual trust.
Nature
Landscape integration
Our ethos: limiting the visual impact of the mobile homes on their environment. We want them to blend into their natural surroundings, as if they have always been there. The positioning of mobile homes on the pitches, the design of our products and the diversity of our cladding options lay the groundwork for subtle landscape integration, respecting both French regulations (Article 35 of the law of 12/07/2010) and the environment.
Innovation
Environmentally-friendly product lifecycle
Committed to sustainable development practises, we oversee every stage in the life of our mobile homes. Therefore, all of our products are recyclable and feature the latest advances in eco-design to reduce their environmental impact throughout their lifecycle.
All of our mobile homes are 100% recyclable
Construction
We consider the environment throughout the manufacturing process...
In our factories, environmental policy is based on 3 major areas:
- Minimising the environmental impact of our activities by reusing waste materials from our 7 manufacturing plants. Almost 90% of our waste is already reused.
- Reducing our CO² emissions. By choosing low-solvent adhesives that respect our manufacturing constraints, we have reduced our VOC emissions by 36% since 2019!
- Controlling and significantly reducing our energy consumption. In 2 years, we have reduced our gas, electricity and water consumption by 25%. This is achieved through close monitoring of water consumption to detect faults and leaks. Our 100LED programme has also helped us to reduce our electricity consumption significantly. Every year, the targets for our sites are revised to build on existing efforts, while complying with regulatory demands on our sites and activities.
Local
Reducing our carbon footprint
This also involves a short supply chain. Our 8 factories are located close to our customers and respect ISO14001 standards. This optimal structure enables us to create jobs locally and offer a local service, responding effectively to changes in the outdoor accommodation market throughout Europe.
Certified
A safe environment
For the safety of our users, all of our models are tested according to EN 1647 standards, drawn up by the CEN (European Committee for Standardisation), on an annual basis. This stringent approach is unique on the mobile home market. Structure, dimensions, durability, doors and windows, emergency exits, layout... all key elements are tested against the specifications. These tests are conducted by Bureau Véritas, which then issues a certificate of compliance for each model.
100% of our mobile homes are EN1647 certified by independent body Bureau Véritas
Recyclable
Cleaner and healthier materials
Our mobile home manufacturing process is inspired by the DTU 31.2 standards for the construction of timber-framed houses and buildings. For the safety of our users, we favour the use of recycled and recyclable materials. We also choose materials with a low environmental impact, such as wood from sustainably managed forests, A+ rated phthalate free lino, hypoallergenic Oeko Tex certified mattresses, energy efficient appliances and BIOFIB plant-based insulation.
Savings
Reducing energy consumption
Our product policy commits to reducing water and electricity consumption, thus reducing the risk of overconsumption by the users. Designed with energy efficiency in mind, our mobile homes are fitted with 7l/min flow limiters on sink and basin mixers, 3/6l dual flow flushes, appliances rated A+ for efficiency, low-consumption lightbulbs in outdoor light fixtures and A+ rated LEDs in all indoor light fittings.
Optimise
Centralised Technical Management
Centralised Technical Management (CTM) enables us to assist site managers in maintaining their rental fleet. This indispensable tool enables them to remotely control high-consumption equipment to optimise its use, saving almost 20% on energy bills over a period of 2 to 4 years. CTM saves a considerable amount of time and money.
Ecology
The eco-profile: our measurement tool
In order to measure our environmental impact, we have developed a rating system that is unique on the market, based on almost 70 factors: the eco profile. Reviewed every year, this system tracks our mobile homes from design to manufacture, to recycling. Using this highly effective tool, our teams are able to measure the environmental impact of each of our ranges and constantly improve them.
Partnership
Our sector is mobilising for the future
Many campsites are located in areas of outstanding natural beauty. With the support of the FNHPA and its official partners such as IRM, almost all campsites have signed the national charter on landscape integration. They are also committed to economical water management and investigating options for waste management. Meanwhile, the company Eco Mobil-Home facilitates the removal and dismantling of obsolete mobile homes, promoting regular renewal of the rental fleet. Together, we will continue to move forward.
Ecology
Eco Mobil-Home is promoting the concept of
« end of life »
With this striking concept, Eco Mobil-Home is inspiring the industry to regularly renew the available accommodation by opting for dismantling rather than resale. Dismantling has numerous benefits: it prevents illegal settlements and site “sprawl” and, above all, enables a large proportion of the product to be recycled, while enabling site managers to improve their image, for a customer base reluctant to stay in ageing structures. This service is free and offers undeniable benefits for the whole industry, why wait!
Eco-organisation
Eco Mobil-Home: a key brand in the outdoor accommodation industry
Eco Mobil-home celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020! The association, of which the Beneteau Group housing division is a member,has dismantled 10,874 accommodation facilities since its launch, 1,944 of these in the 2019/2020 season and over 25,000 tonnes of materials have been processedd, recycled and reused by a network of 35 partner dismantlers in France! These free services have significantly reduced the average age of a mobile home to 24 years. This situation reflects the efficient response capacity of Eco-Mobil-Home, as well as a genuine desire within the industry to improve the quality of the accommodation on offer and upgrade the rental fleets for a more appealing outdoor accommodation sector in France.
