Meliá Hotels International has become the latest major travel and hospitality brand to pledge to eliminate single-use plastics. In Meliá’s case, the company says that single-use plastics will be eliminated across the company’s portfolio by the end of this year.
The move includes plastic bottles, cups, bags, straws and coasters immediately replaced with reusable items in more than 370 hotels across 40 countries, which Meliá says will save more than 15 tons of CO2 emissions generated by waste disposal per year. Over 22 million plastic bottles were disposed of at Meliá Hotels International properties globally during 2017.
In a written statement Meliá EVP and CEO Gabriel Escarrer noted that the company has also taken steps to combat climate change by assuming the commitments defined in the Paris Climate Summit.
Over the past few weeks, a number of travel brands have moved to eliminate single-use plastics. These include fellow hotel and resort company Bahia Principe, which says its ban will take effect by 2020, as well as The Travel Corporation, including its Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, U by Uniworld and Red Carnation Hotels brands.
Expedition cruise line Hurtigruten announced that it will ban all single-use plastics fleetwide by July 2. As of July 16, Alaska Airlines will replace its single-use, non-recyclable plastic stir straws and citrus picks with sustainable alternatives in its airport lounges and on all of its domestic and international flights. Finally, Hilton has said that it will eliminate plastic straws across its managed hotels in the Asia Pacific region by the end of 2018, as well as transition away from plastic bottles in its conference and event spaces.
Based in Spain, Meliá Hotels International has a portfolio of more than 370 hotels worldwide, including in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
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