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Reducing plastic waste has become a priority for many countries across Europe, driven by the European Union’s strategy to ban single-use plastics by 2021. Throughout these discussions, tourist accommodations are seen as important actors of change, due to the amount of disposable hotel amenities thrown out every year. Thanks to the EU Ecolabel, hotels and campsites can anticipate EU regulations while supporting the EU Plastics Strategy.
The United Nations Environment Program estimates that 4.8 million tons of waste are produced each year by tourists, and usually only 15% of the product is actually consumed before it is thrown out. Tourist Accommodations awarded with the EU Ecolabel have taken a step forward in countering these issues, since they must prohibit disposable items (e.g: toiletries, cutlery, towels) and single dose packages for nonperishable food stuffs with a few exceptions. Adequate containers for waste management must also be provided in the rooms or on all floors, and waste must be separated into specific categories for better recycling and disposal.
Eco-design packaging is also a solution encouraged by the EU Ecolabel, such as introducing large volume, refillable soap and shampoo dispensers. These eco-designed dispensers reduce the waste from single-use toiletries, lets guests have a better control on the amount of soap used and reduces the frequency of staff replenishments.
The EU Ecolabel tourist accommodations criteria provide efficient guidelines for hotels and camping sites looking to better manage and monitor waste and packaging levels, while offering enough flexibility to allow proper guest satisfaction.
Sources:
https://www.greengetaways.com.au/green-hospitality-resources/
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/efe/content/european-parliament-votes-single-use-plastics-ban_en
https://resource.co/article/managing-waste-tourist-cities-11319
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Reducing plastic waste and tourist accommodations
Paris, Île-de-France, France
