The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has become a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative as a supporting organisation, led by the United Nations Environment Programme and World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative unites the tourism sector behind a common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. It enables businesses and governments to take concerted action, leading by example in the shift towards a circularity in the use of plastics.

As a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) as a supporting organisation, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance commits to:

  • Providing information on GTPI to the hospitality industry, run awareness-raising activities and encourage others to join the initiative.
  • Creating practical resources to support the industry in efforts to implement the circular economy of plastics by raising awareness of the issue and potential steps that can be taken to resolve it.
  • Sharing relevant resources created by other organisations with their member companies and wider network.
  • Sharing best practice case studies with their members and wider hospitality network.

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance CEO, Madhu Rajesh, said: “I’m thrilled that the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance are joining the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative as a supporting organisation. The increased use of single-use plastic items has become a global sustainability issue, greatly contributing to pollution and negatively impacting wildlife as well as increasing global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The hospitality industry has made great progress in reducing unnecessary and problematic plastics. The Alliance is looking forward to continuing the work we do to bring engaged hospitality companies together and support the whole industry to have a lasting positive impact on our planet.”

“The hospitality industry has made great progress in reducing unnecessary and problematic plastics. The Alliance is looking forward to continuing the work we do to bring engaged hospitality companies together and support the whole industry to have a lasting positive impact on our planet.”

Madhu Rajesh, CEO, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

Developed within the framework of the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the One Planet network, a multi-stakeholder partnership to implement SDG 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Tourism Organisation, in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative acts as the tourism sector interface of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which unites more than 450 businesses, governments, and other organisations behind a common vision and targets to address plastic waste and pollution at its source.

Eliminate. Innovate. Circulate.

The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative aims to stop plastic ending up as pollution while also reducing the amount of new plastic that needs to be produced. To realise this vision, tourism companies and destinations commit to:

  • eliminate the plastic items they don’t need;
  • innovate so all plastics they do need are designed to be safely reused, recycled, or composted;
  • circulate everything they use to keep it in the economy and out of the environment.

How can hotels help?

By transitioning to circularity in the use of plastics, the tourism sector can make positive contributions like:

  • reducing landfill, pollution, natural resource depletion and greenhouse gas emissions;
  • raising awareness of conservation among staff and guests to avoid single-use plastic products;
  • influencing their suppliers to produce more sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic products;
  • working with governments to improve local waste infrastructure and community facilities;
  • creating sustainable livelihoods and long-term community prosperity in harmony with nature.

By taking serious action in a coordinated and determined manner on plastic pollution, the tourism sector can help preserve and protect the places and wildlife that make destinations worth visiting.

Please use our single-use plastic factsheet for further recommendations and useful examples from the hospitality industry.