STOP.p.s.: Stop Plastic Soup in Hospitality and Tourism
 

The Professorship of Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism - Prof. Elena Cavagnaro and Dr. Lucia Tomassini - have lead and finalised the submission of an innovative Project Proposal for a Plastic-free Hospitality.

The project is a powerful cross-over of the Professorships of Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism, Circular Product Design, Open Innovation, and Green Logistics at NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences. The companies participating in the project are small H&T firms of Friesland. In addition, Circular Friesland, Center of Expertise Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality, and ACCOR Amsterdam are involved.
 

The polluting effects of plastic materials and Single Use Plastics (SUPs) are a worldwide challenge to be solved with urgency. The Hospitality & Tourism (H&T) sector makes a large use of plastics material and SUPs and the current COVID-19 pandemic has been worsening the situation. Plastic materials and SUPs are widely present in the kitchen, dining room, breakfast area, housekeeping department, guests’ rooms, the front office, as well as being often parts of the welcome package kits - or toiletries - provided by H&T facilities to their guests. With COVID-19, the use of SUPs for hygiene and safety purposes has increased. While big hotels and chains have more robust economic means and human resources to reduce plastics use, small H&T firms face further constraints due to limited knowledge, economic and human resources. This is specifically evident in Friesland, a region aiming to become the most circular territory of Europe in 2025 and characterized by a widespread presence of small H&T firms. Besides a pilot project in Amsterdam on Circular Economy in big hotels, there are no initiatives focusing on plastics reduction in small H&T firms. Hence, with a consortium of different stakeholders articulating clear questions and interested in building knowledge and finding solutions to reduce plastics in Friesland H&T sector, the project "STOP.p.s: Stop Plastic Soup in Hospitality & Tourism" was developed. This project will develop new knowledge and solutions to reduce plastics use within the Friesland H&T sector.