Sustainable tourism is an approach of tourism that seeks to minimise negative effects and maximise benefits for the environment, society, and local economies. The approach considers current and future impacts and seeks to meet the needs of tourists, the industry, and the host communities. Due to its comprehensive approach, sustainable tourism is often criticised for being complex and difficult to implement in practice. This article will help bring clarity to this concept by focusing on waste, an important aspect of sustainability. You will learn about waste management practices that your business can adopt to implement a sustainable tourism model.
The tourism industry is widely recognized for its significant contribution to global waste production, posing adverse impacts on the environment, society, and even its own operational sustainability. Fortunately, there are sustainable waste management practices that tourism businesses can adopt to address these issues and benefit from them. In order for tourism businesses to gain clarity on adopting these practices, the article will first explain waste issues in tourism, introduce sustainable waste management practices and their benefits, and emphasise the significance of community engagement by showcasing a case study of a zero-waste town in Japan.
The tourism industry is notorious for its excessive waste production, with tourists in some destinations generating double the waste of locals. Plastic and food waste are major concerns requiring immediate attention. The industry significantly contributes to the global plastic pollution crisis, with eight out of ten tourists visiting coastal areas, adding eight million tonnes of plastic to the oceans yearly. Many hotels still use single-use plastics like shampoo bottles and toothbrushes, while cruise ships discharge wastewater into the sea containing pollutants and toxins. This not only degrades natural landscapes but also poses serious health risks to coastal communities.
Research shows that 20-60% of food purchased for culinary experiences goes to waste, which results in an adverse impact on the environment and business. If food waste was a country, it would be the 3rd biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions from incineration. Improperly managed landfills further worsen the situation by contaminating groundwater and fostering harmful bacteria and insects. Additionally, food waste is a significant financial burden, costing the hospitality and food service sectors over $100 billion globally annually.
The substantial waste produced by the tourism industry has negative effects on the environment, health, and the economy, diminishing the appeal of destinations and adding pressure to business operations. Fortunately, tourism businesses are successfully transforming their value chains and adopting sustainable waste management systems to reduce waste generation and adverse effects. In the next section, we will lay out some of the sustainable waste management practises your business can readily implement.
The concept of sustainable waste management urges us to rethink and enhance our current waste practices. Its goal is to lessen material consumption during production, prolong the lifespan of materials, and decrease the amount of solid waste sent to landfills or incinerated. This stands in contrast to the dominant "take-make-waste" model, which revolves around producing and selling as many products as possible, often by sourcing materials, using them briefly, and then disposing of them. Key principles of sustainable waste management include avoidance and reduction, as well as reuse and recycling. In the following section, we'll delve into these principles and provide examples of how they can be practically applied.
Avoidance and reduction
While it might seem common sense, one of the simplest and fastest ways to manage waste sustainability is to reduce and avoid using materials. For tourism businesses, this starts with taking stock of single-use plastic items and food supplies to truly deduce how much is being used and spent. This process can help identify materials that are unnecessary or being purchased in excess. Tourism businesses can phase out single-use plastics and switch to eco-friendly alternatives, like recycled paper or reduce the overordering of cooking ingredients. Organisations like Plastic Free UAE offer eco-friendly beauty products and services. By avoiding and minimising material use, you not only lower your operational expenses but also contribute to the overall well-being of the tourist destination by reducing the costs associated with landfills and region-wide plastic cleanups.
Reuse and recycle
Reusing materials is an effective strategy that conserves resources like money and energy. Donating surplus food and repurposing items, such as outdated equipment, discontinued promotional materials, or excess renovation supplies, significantly reduces waste while benefiting the community. However, achieving zero waste through reuse alone can be challenging. When materials can no longer be reused, recycling transforms waste into usable resources. Proper waste segregation, especially for plastics, is essential so materials can be recycled by BEEAH, Sharjah’s pioneering waste management organisation. Food waste can become compost, supporting fresh produce growth, integrated into community tourism or agrotourism projects to enhance destination sustainability. Additionally, food waste can generate energy through biogas from organic waste, powering various aspects of a tourist destination, promoting sustainability, and adding to the attractiveness of the destination. Make sure your waste separation and recycling processes are in line with local waste management services, and consider implementing on-site composting.
Involving the local community in waste management practices can effectively promote the practices on a destination level and enhance the destination's branding and economic benefits. Since waste management practices require changes in behaviour and attitudes towards waste disposal, community involvement through educational initiatives on responsible waste disposal informs and influences community members. Furthermore, the practices can earn recognition for environmental stewardship and attract eco-conscious tourists. Lastly, implementing community-level waste management reduces regional waste costs associated with landfilling and incineration. For inspiration, look at Kamikatsu, a pioneering "zero waste town" in Japan, where community commitment, waste separation, education, and innovative programs transformed the town into an ecotourism destination promoting sustainable living practices.
The tourism industry generates a significant portion of global waste, mainly plastic and food waste, with adverse environmental effects like Co2 emissions, wildlife endangerment, and food and water pollution. Landfills and incineration are expensive waste management methods. Adopting sustainable waste management benefits tourism businesses and destinations by enhancing the environment, reducing operational costs, generating energy, engaging communities, and promoting sustainable branding.
Now it's your time to embrace sustainable waste management and experience the benefits. Start by understanding your impact and exploring Sharjah's innovative waste management strategies with the Sustain Sharjah community.