Great interest in innovative solutions for a plastic-free vacation

Workshop on measures and potential for reducing single-use plastic

The results of a preliminary study conducted in ten hotels on Mallorca in May were first presented at the very well-attended workshop. In the partner hotels of Futouris member companies DER Touristik, schauinsland-reisen, Thomas Cook and TUI, an inspection of the hotels and interviews with management, staff and guests were used to determine in which areas and for what purposes single-use plastic is used. Furthermore, already implemented reduction measures and future potentials, e.g. alternative products such as edible straws or water refill stations and possibilities for their use in hotel operations were discussed. The waste disposal and recycling process in the respective municipality was also highlighted.

Reducing plastic waste together, improving recycling and thus protecting the Mediterranean and the beaches of the Balearic Islands from further plastic pollution: With this goal in mind, a total of 40 representatives of the most important stakeholders involved in the current Futouris industry project "Plastic-Free Holidays" met yesterday. Hotel managers, representatives of Futouris member companies and the tourism and environment ministries of the Balearic Islands discussed innovative solutions and practical feasibility in the tourism industry with local and international partners.

Lively interest in the workshop

Futouris CEO Prof. Dr. Harald Zeiss is delighted about the great interest in the workshop: "This shows us that awareness of the problem of plastic pollution in the tourism industry and the need for practicable solutions are very high. We have therefore taken exactly the right path with our industry project."

The Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Tourism of the Balearic Islands, Isabel Busquets, welcomed the participants to the workshop and expressed her delight at the keen interest shown by hoteliers and tour operators: "Reducing plastic will take us even further along the path towards sustainable tourism that the Balearic Government set out on four years ago. By focusing on sustainability, we even have the opportunity to stand out as a tourist destination and offer a differentiated product."

Biggest sources and challenges of plastic waste

Plastic water bottles were identified as one of the biggest sources of plastic waste, which are provided to guests in almost every hotel and are perceived by them as difficult to replace, especially on excursions. Miniature toiletries and plastic-wrapped shower caps, nail or shoe care sets and slippers are also still frequently provided in guest rooms. Another major challenge is the large amount of plastic packaging for delivered food.

Expert approaches for practicable solutions

In order to develop innovative and practicable solutions for the problem areas identified, various local and international experts presented approaches at the workshop. For example, the organizations Save The Med, Cleanwave.org and Travel Without Plastic presented options and alternatives for reducing common plastic products and showed how these can be communicated to guests and hotel employees. Save the Med, for example, offers a comprehensive program to analyse the impact of different plastic items and packaging materials to enable hotels to make informed decisions on reduction programs, while Cleanwave is promoting the establishment of a network of freely accessible drinking water refill stations on Mallorca to make plastic water bottles unnecessary. Furthermore, representatives of the waste authority informed the workshop about the contents of the Balearic Islands' waste law passed in 2018 that are relevant to the hotel industry. A representative from Iberostar Hotels & Resorts also presented the marine protection and plastic reduction program "Wave of Change" as best practice and inspiration.

Based on the results and information from the partners' impulses, the participants worked together with the experts in working groups to develop practical pilot measures that will be tested in the participating hotels over the coming months as part of the industry project.