IGPN - International Green Purchasing Network

September 13, 2023

Global Tourism Plastics Initiative Discussed at the G20 Tourism Ministers Working Group

To address plastic pollution, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative provides a common vision for a circular economy of plastics in tourism. On 19 June, the Sustainable Tourism Programme brought its rich repository of resources on Circular Economy & Tourism to the G20 Tourism Working Group under India’s presidency.

UNWTO and UNEP hosted the side event "Towards a circular economy of plastics in tourism – the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative", in association with the Ministry of Tourism of India to provide delegates and participants with practical guidance to address plastic pollution in tourism operations. Participants included country representatives (India, Indonesia), accommodation (ITC Hotels, Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, The Indian Hotels Company Limited) and aviation (International Air Transport Association, IATA).

The Central Nodal Agency for Sustainable Tourism of India, a technical agency of the Ministry of Tourism, became a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, together with the Government of Punjab and the Responsible Tourism Society of India.
The discussions were in alignment with the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. As tourism bounces back close to pre-pandemic levels, it is essential to ensure that recovery is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.

Under the G20 Ministerial Declaration “Greening the tourism sector for a sustainable, responsible and resilient sector”, Global Tourism Plastics Initiative as well as the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism were recognized as voluntary global initiatives to accelerate the sustainable transformation of the tourism sector.

The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative requires tourism organizations to make a set of concrete and actionable commitments by 2025:
-Eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and items;
-Take action to move from single-use to reuse models or reusable alternatives;
-(Engage the value chain to) move towards 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable;
-Take action to increase the amount of recycled content across all plastic packaging and items used;
-Collaborate and invest to increase the recycling and composting rates for plastics;
-Report publicly and annually on progress made towards these targets.

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