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Successful test of alternatives to single-use plastic products
Tatjana PetersAvoiding single-use plastic products and using reusable, refillable or compostable alternatives can help hotels cut their annual costs by around 64% and reduce a large amount of packaging waste overall. These are the fantastic results of our ten-week test in selected hotel rooms at two TUI hotels as part of our industry project "Plastic-free vacations in the Balearic Islands". Staff and guests also rated the tested, more sustainable alternatives as predominantly positive, with most guests perceiving the test products as more environmentally friendly
What was tested?
In close collaboration with ROBINSON Cala Serena, we tested four alternatives to single-use plastic products to get feedback from guests and staff and to understand the environmental and financial impact of the replacement products.
Plastic-free and home-compostable coffee capsules instead of the standard plastic and aluminum coffee capsules.
Liquid hand wash dispensers and combined shampoo/shower gel dispensers made from local almonds instead of bars of soap and bottles of shampoo and shower gel.
Reusable, washable garbage bags instead of disposable plastic bags.
Eco-friendly cleaner based on an oxidized water solution for general cleaning products and glass cleaners.
What are the key findings?
For the most part, guests felt that the products tested were better for the environment and in terms of reducing plastic.
Employees would like to continue using the products tested.
The opportunities for reducing plastic waste and saving costs are significant:
using the plastic and toxin-free cleaning equipment can reduce costs by 85% per guest night.
by using reusable bin liners, disposable plastic bin liners can be completely eliminated.
The tested products and results in detail
Plastic-free and self-compostable coffee capsules
A standard coffee capsule consists of approx. 1.1 g of aluminum, which leads to an enormous amount of waste depending on total consumption, while the tested, plastic-free capsule recommended by the WWF can be composted without producing any waste. All guests surveyed rated the tested capsules as equivalent to standard Nespresso capsules in terms of taste and almost 90% rated them better in terms of plastic reduction. According to feedback from the cleaning staff, the plastic-free capsules are just as easy to use as the Nespresso capsules. The capsules can be easily disposed of in your own compost, for example.
