PlasTICK

Through PlasTICK, Common Seas is supporting a growing global movement to reduce tourism’s dependence on single-use plastic.

Citizens are asking for it: sustainable tourism is driving sector growth.

In Europe and beyond, governments are requiring businesses to set plastic reduction targets. For example, the Greek and Maldives Tourism Ministries (two countries we work in) have set ambitious targets to reduce single-use plastics across the hospitality sector.

Meanwhile, the United Nations is negotiating a Global Treaty for Plastic that will create the same step-change in progress as the Paris Agreement did for carbon reporting and offsetting.

Tourism creates incredible value in our world.

As well as generating more than 10% of global GDP, tourism creates jobs, infrastructure and invaluable cultural exchange.

However, it also produces 4.2m tonnes of plastic waste - every single year.

• 80% of tourism takes place in coastal areas, exposing our most beautiful and valuable marine environments to plastic waste.
• Plastic pollution causes widespread biodiversity and species loss, as well as economic loss through compromised tourism and the cost of clean-up.
• Plastic-related emissions will account for 19% of carbon budget by 2040, in a 1.5°C warming scenario.
• There is growing concern about the impact of plastics on human health (particularly after Common Seas’ recent discovery of plastic in blood).

As a major contributor to the global plastic crisis, tourism’s toxic relationship with plastic threatens its own future, as well as our environment, climate, health and economic prosperity.