Introduction
“We would like to help our customers to easily access products in all different formats with less plastic waste. To keep plastic in use for as long as possible in a circular loop system has to be a natural part of our hotel operations. We can do this by collecting, processing and repeatedly reusing plastic. We would like to set ambitious targets to reduce the total amount of waste we produce, to ramp up the use of recycled resources, and to increase use of reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic packaging. The collection and processing infrastructure to support this will be important.”
By Charlotte WWiebe, TUI Group Sustainability Director
Your guide to..a plastic free guest experience
Start with a self-assessment
Where to begin? Start with a self-assessment and learn more about your plastic use and what the alternatives are. Find out how much and which types of plastics you use. Make a division in what’s coming in (including packaging), and what’s going out, i.e. plastic waste.Be ambitious
Write down your ambitions and set targets. What do you really want to achieve and what is the timeframe?Involve stakeholders
Involve your most important stakeholders and tell them what your plans are. Ask them for help and work together to reach your goals.Measure progress
The self-assessment (step 1) gives you more insight of how much plastic items you currently have in place. Once you have taken measures in reducing this you can keep a record on a monthly or quarterly basis to measure how much progress you have made.Keep on improving
Evaluate the outcomes. Where are possibilities for further improvement? What went well and what could be done better? Communicate and share your experiences with your staff and guests.Join the Global Plastics Tourism Initiative
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) unites the tourism sector behind a common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. It enables organisations to take concerted action, leading by example in the shift towards a circularity in the use of plastics. As a hotelier you can join too, by signing up here.In 2021, TUI Group has become a signatory of the GTPI. By this, TUI is committed to eliminate the plastic items we don’t need, to innovate so all plastics we do need are designed to be safely reused, recycled, or composted and to circulate everything we use to keep it in the economy and out of the environment. Most relevant commitments for hotel partners can be read here.
Remove single-served plastic items
Has your hotel removed all single serve, single-use plastic packaged preserves, condiments, cream & milk from food service?No single-use plastics
EU member states have placed a ban on the sale of 10 types of single use plastic items from July 2021 and TUI wish to support the reduction of their use where ever possible. These products include cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, and sticks for balloons as well as EPS cups, food and beverage containers and on all products made of oxo-degradable plastics.Get a refill
Nowadays more people use reusable bottles, and even bring them with them while on holiday. People are getting used to refill their water bottles instead of buying plastic bottles. We recommend to place water dispensers for guests, so they can get a refill whenever they want, while it save you a lot of plastic waste.Zero-waste sunscreen
Did you know that microplastics are intentionally added in sunscreen? We might not wash it off while we take a shower, but do so when swimming in our seas and oceans. In case your hotel includes a shop you can include zero-waste sunscreen to the assortment, one that is plastic-free and ocean-friendly.Plastic reduction guidelines
Please take a look at our Plastic Reduction Guidelines below (see Downloads below), which were created for hoteliers to help you create your own single-use plastic reduction programme, and then implement it throughout your operations. The guidelines will provide you with information, practical advice and suggested alternatives on many single-use and unnecessary plastic items that are commonly found in hotels. We invite you to work together with us in tackling the plastic waste problem, in order to protect and positively develop our tourism destinations.
Another great way to inspire and involve guests and staff is to make it visible. For example by showing this video. The campaign “Keep our sand and sea plastic free” is funded by TUI Care Foundation and delivered by the Travel Foundation in partnership with Cyprus Sustainable Tourism Initiative (CSTI).
Best practices
Engaging guests - Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa (Maldives)
Vilamendhoo Island undertake a number of sustainability initiatives in this area but we are most impressed with how well they engage their guests in helping them with marine conservation and generally educating visitors about how to travel responsibly. For example, they provide educational videos in their reception area and on guest room TVs about what guests should and should not do during their stay, such as avoiding sunscreens that harm marine life, how to safely dispose of litter and the importance of leaving natural areas undisturbed.
TUI Sensimar Lagoon Mauritius
The TUI Sensimar Lagoon Mauritius recycles all of their plastic bottles in close collaboration with a local recycling station. The bottles are processed and then exported to other countries to make anti-allergy products like mattresses and pillows.
Atlantica Sancta Napa (Cyprus)
The Atlantica Hotel Sancta Napa minimized the use of single-use plastic bottles by introducing water fountains where customers can fill reusable polycarbonate glasses or paper cups. Customers also have the option to purchase reusable plastic bottles and use it during their stay in the hotel; 20% of the cost is donated to charity activities. In the restaurant, only reusable glass bottles are used.
TUI Sensatori Barut Fethiye (Turkey)
This Turkish hotel considers the reduction of plastic a priority. Therefore, it has assessed the use of plastics in its operations and, where possible, set reductions targets. As a result of this review, the amount of plastic waste is being continuously monitored and recorded, and measures have been implemented to reduce the use of plastic, e.g. the ban of plastic straws. Since 2016, 4,450kg of plastic waste has already been saved. As part of the plastic reduction strategy, the TUI Sensatori Barut Fethiye informs their guests and staff about the negative environmental impact of plastics and the actions that the hotel has taken.