Freddy’s at GRR is one of Paradies Lagardère’s green restaurants.

Paradies Lagardère has reached a major sustainability milestone in airport dining, with more than 98.5% of its North American airport restaurant portfolio now certified by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA).

In total, 210 of the company’s 213 airport dining locations have earned Certified Green Restaurant status, reflecting a year-long collaboration with the GRA to embed more environmentally responsible practices across its estate. The certification recognises progress in areas including energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, recycling and the elimination of polystyrene foam, all within the constraints of fast-paced airport environments.

Over the past 12 months, Paradies Lagardère’s dining teams implemented more than 5,000 environmental actions across certified sites, collectively earning more than 21,450 GreenPoints™ under the GRA’s standards. Based on national restaurant benchmarks, these measures could equate to savings of up to 7.6 million kWh of energy and 6.6 million gallons of water annually, while diverting an estimated 5.8 million pounds of waste from landfill. For travellers, the initiative makes it easier to reduce their environmental footprint while dining on the move.

The GRA certification assesses restaurants across a wide range of criteria, including energy, water, waste, reusables and disposables, chemicals and pollution, and food sourcing. All 210 locations achieved Level 1 certification, with Paradies Lagardère continuing to work with its remaining brand partner to complete upgrades and extend certification across its full portfolio.

Valerie Davis, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Paradies Lagardère, said the achievement was the result of broad internal collaboration. “We’re incredibly proud to see our airport restaurants become Certified Green Restaurants. It shows that even in complex, high-volume travel environments, meaningful environmental action is achievable,” she enthused.

Michael Oshman, CEO and founder of the Green Restaurant Association, added that the scale of the certification sets an important benchmark for the sector. “Paradies Lagardère’s environmental practices represent a significant step forward for restaurant operations and demonstrate what is possible today,” he said.

Looking ahead, Paradies Lagardère plans to continue working with the GRA to pursue higher certification levels as part of its wider sustainability strategy, which includes responsible sourcing, waste reduction and lowering overall carbon impact across its airport dining business.

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