BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Apr. 24.2018 “We recently saw the ‘plasticberg’ of garbage that drifted into parts of our pristine Caribbean Sea, underscoring the plastic pollution that already spoils some of our beaches. So, it is even more urgent that we come together in a smart partnership with all sectors and communities to clean out the plastic pollution and ensure clean and pristine waters dominate the million square miles that comprise the Caribbean.”
This was the urge of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) President Karolin Troubetzkoy yesterday (Apr. 22) in recognition of Earth Day which was celebrated under the theme "End Plastic Pollution".
Troubetzkoy stated that this year’s theme was especially relevant for the CHTA because removing and preventing plastic pollution remains a big challenge for many of their tourism enterprises and island destinations at large, adding that their affiliate, The Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), offers tourism enterprises and communities sustainability resources as well as share the best practices to end the irresponsible dumping of plastics across the Caribbean.
She commented on the growth of plastic which, she said, is now threatening the survival of the world “with effects ranging from poisoning and injuring marine life to disrupting human hormones and from littering our beaches and landscapes to clogging our waste streams and landfills in the constrained space of our islands”.
“This Earth Day, we encourage our members to dedicate themselves to generating the inspiration and information needed to fundamentally change human attitudes and behaviors about plastics and motivate their team members, their families and communities to take personal responsibility for the plastic pollution that each one of us generates by choosing to reject or reduce plastics and to reuse and recycle where possible,” she said.
She saluted the tourism enterprises that have successfully reduced the use of plastic in their operations by encouraging creative alternatives to plastics for food containers, cutlery, cups and straws and the introduction of reusable water bottles. She also saluted the destinations that have begun to ban plastic checkout bags for groceries or other merchandise, adding that by sharing the successes, the hope is to encourage and inspire more businesses to find plastic-free solutions in their operations as well.
“To be successful, we need a Caribbean strategy that can fit into the Earth Day Network's global framework to regulate such pollution, in particular in our tourism and hospitality sectors. Let's encourage our governments, our hotels and tourism businesses to be leaders in keeping plastics out of our seas, and also engage with the cruise and airline industries to eliminate plastic waste. Together, we can exhort universities, schools, school teachers and students to end plastic pollution throughout our islands,” Troubetzkoy stated.
She ended by stating that both the CHTA and CAST support the Earth Day Network's mission to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.
