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Responsible Travel promotes ‘no single use plastics’ holidays
Responsible Travel has launched a section on its website dedicated to ‘no single use plastics’ holidays and is calling on the whole travel industry to pick up the mantle.
The company said there are 23 trips in the section so far, a tiny fraction of the holidays it promotes, but there are several more in the process.
"Our aim here is to start a new category," said a spokeswoman. "It’s not been done before so there’s limited product. The challenge now is to work with tour operators to encourage them to influence their supply chains. This is just the beginning."
For trips to make it into the section, customers must not encounter single use plastic at either the accommodation, the transport, organised activities, nor any restaurants that are part of the itinerary.
The list of barred items include plastic wrappers, plastic cutlery, plastic water bottles (when safe to do so), plastic cups, plates and containers, disposable plastic chopsticks, plastic wrapped or disposable plastic items in hotels, including slippers, toiletries, shower caps, plastic toothbrushes and combs, plastic condiment, tea or coffee containers.
CEO and founder Justin Francis said: "The war on plastics is raging. As travellers, we see places spoilt by bins overflowing with plastic bottles or rubbish-strewn beaches and oceans. This new collection of trips from us is just a start – there’s a lot to be done and many more travel companies who can step up to the plastic-free plate.
"I believe the travel industry has a key role to play and we’re already seeing many pledges from travel companies to be plastic free by a certain date. I hope these promises become a reality and that the industry uses its influence to effect change throughout its supply chains and to inspire travellers to act too."
Initiatives could include ditching plastic water bottles in favour of reusable bottles and no longer using straws and plastic cutlery.
In Sri Lanka one operator is wrapping food in banana leaves instead of plastic wrap and an Egyptian hotel is offering glass pots for jams and butter at breakfast instead of single use plastic pots.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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