LUX* Le Morne: sensitising the youth to a sustainable lifestyle

30 March 2022

Promote an eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle and protect nature: such is the pledge of LUX* Le Morne as it ties up with schools in the community. Through the implementation of two major projects, Kids Go Green and the Zero Waste Awareness Campaign, the resort is determined to continue playing its part in moving towards a sustainable Mauritius.

Jérémie de Fombelle, General Manager of LUX* Le Morne, firmly believes that the protection of the environment cannot be achieved without the involvement and participation of citizens. “Our mission extends beyond our hotel’s walls. We want to include the neighbouring communities in our endeavours, by sharing with them the many tools and knowledge we have at our disposal. This begins with children, who, after all, hold the key to our future. It is our duty to sensitise them to the importance of sustainability and individual actions, to ensure they become environmentally aware and responsible adults,” he explains.

The first of the two initiatives, Kids Go Green, aims to educate children on the importance of eating well. In a time where junk food and malnutrition have trickled into people’s daily lives, the chefs at LUX* Le Morne are intent on sharing their knowledge with the students.

Kids Go Green, a multi-pronged initiative, also aims to educate children on the many ways to reduce food waste. Once a week, a group of students is invited to the hotel to learn about the importance of a healthy diet, through homemade and plant-based food. The hotel’s gardeners also take the children under their wing, teaching them how to grow plants, sow seeds and tend to soil. The students are then encouraged to bring back the plants they have sown so they can observe their growth up close.

The chefs take it a step further by explaining the role of seasonality and the importance of prioritising seasonal, local products over imported ones. They also provide guidance on how to reuse food scraps and revisit recipes with leftovers to reduce food waste as much as possible.

The second project, the Zero Waste Awareness Campaign, is centred on raising awareness of the impact of food waste. In March, driven by its ambition to contribute to the sustainability efforts in the region, LUX* Le Morne launched its first awareness campaign among neighbouring schools. It provides students with waste diversion methods and tips on how to reuse and repurpose products, thanks to which they have grasped how simple gestures, such as transforming waste into new products, eliminating the illegal disposal of waste, sorting and recycling waste, or even bringing one’s reusable own bag or container, can go a long way in preserving the environment.