Plastic waste tops agenda at Global Sustainable Tourism Council conference. Ian Taylor reports Continued from page 64


summer. Majorca is drowning in waste, [but] it has passed a law banning a list of single-use plastic from 2021. Zante can’t cope. In summer, the waste increases two and a half times. Measures are urgently needed to reduce plastic usage.” Von Münchhausen added:


“Destinations can’t wait for investment in infrastructure [and] many hotels have reached a dead end replacing plastic with paper or wood, merely replacing one problem with another. [But] the industry can contribute to alleviating the problem. We can have as a first goal that we don’t have any more leakage [of plastic] into nature. “A luxury hotel should mean


a waste-free landscape, clean beaches and a healthy ocean. No one wants to lie on littered beaches or swim between plastic bags. “Holidaymakers should be


aware that the value of a trip is not gauged by the variety of products wrapped in plastic in a hotel. Clean beaches and healthy seas are more likely to be remembered.” Nguyen Dieu Thuy, oceans


programme coordinator at WWF Vietnam, described the problem on the Vietnamese island of Pho Quoc, which has a population of 120,000, but attracts 2.5 million tourists a year. She showed a photograph


of a beach covered in plastic, explaining: “The local government just puts up a fence to block the view of the plastic on the beach. “We began a project with


hotels that recognise the issue and try to influence others through the hotel association.


‘Getting rid of single-use items is not sufficient’


Plastic pollution is “a visible manifestation of what we’re doing to the world” but “pretty simple” to address, Rachel McCaffery, director of industry campaign group Travel Without Plastic, told delegates. McCaffery, senior sustainability


advisor to G Adventures and former head of sustainability at Virgin Holidays, said: “There are things


the industry is doing to remove plastic bottles and take out single- use plastic. But it’s not enough. “It’s not something one


company or organisation can do on its own. [But] we have the potential for a movement for change.” However, McCaffery said:


“There is a lack of knowledge of solutions and of where to start. Some businesses think it will be expensive to transition. In fact, there can be cost savings. “There is a lot of confusion and


a lot of mis-selling, particularly of biodegradable cups. These often need to be collected, sorted


Rachel McCaffery


and industrially processed. “Customers’ expectations have


changed. We have lobbying power. If you’re given a plastic straw [in a hotel], if you think there is too much plastic, say something.”


Med’s plastic waste up 30% during peak season


Tourism is a major contributor to plastic pollution in the Mediterranean, according to a new report by campaign group WWF Germany. The Stop the Flood of Plastic


report argues: “The tourism industry is one of the main causes of the problem because the flood of plastic comes with the tourists. During peak season, the volume of plastic waste in the Mediterranean and [on] its beaches increases by as much as 30%.” It recommends 10 measures


hotels should take to cut waste and


combat marine pollution, including: O Creating an inventory of single-use


products and packaging. O Reducing single-use packaging and products in procurement and in


operations. O Using drinking water dispensers or water-treatment systems instead of


bottled water. O Separating waste, “which enables optimal recycling”. WWF also urges hotels to work


together and with other stakeholders to improve suppliers’ services and municipal waste infrastructure. It recommends hotel


op


operators involve and educate staff and guests, noting:


“Tourist expectations can be an obstacle, for example when pre-portioned butter or jam are perceived as hygienic, o


p or shampoo bottles in


bathrooms seen as luxurious amenities.”


62 19 DECEMBER 2019 The WWF argues: “Replacing


single-use plastic with disposable products made of other materials is a dead end. Disposable products made of wood or paper do not, per se, have a better ecological footprint. Bioplastics can’t always be recycled, are often sorted in composting plants and then end up in landfills or are incinerated. Avoidance and reusable alternatives are most effective.” A WWF survey of hotels in


Greece, Italy, France and Spain found the sector “willing to take action”. It said: “In everyday operations, waste separation and purchasing in reusable containers have already been put into practice. “[But] in other areas, hotels are


struggling. High costs, inadequate products and services and a lack of suppliers, rigid guest expectations, insufficient knowledge and shortcomings in waste management are just some of the obstacles.”


travelweekly.co.uk


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