WEBINAR: Transforming Tourism in action: Tackling plastic pollution

DATE: Tuesday, April 27 2021

TIME: 9:00-10:00 am CEST (3:00-4:00 PM Philippine Time)

Background

Among the many adverse consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is the sudden surge in the volume of plastic waste. According to the Asian Development Bank, percentage increase of medical waste in South-East Asian national metropolitan cities (Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Ha Noi) will likely jump by several hundred percent. Due to incorrect disposal and waste management, plastic products such as gloves, masks and hand sanitizer bottles have already been found in the natural environments of major tourism destinations.

The higher demand for disposable plastic items, which in many cases are unrecyclable, could mean more plastic waste ending up as pollution and thereby undermining the natural environment upon which much tourism activity depends as an invaluable shared asset. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it more complex to use plastics sustainably in many destinations and tourism businesses.  The pandemic has also shed light on the vulnerability of global value chains and on the relevance of circular business models in the use of plastics.

Circular principles for single-use products provide credible, alternative solutions. Restarting tourism responsibly requires that future operations be guided by a science-based approach in order to support governments, business, and local communities to understand the trade-offs of decision-making processes that aim to align hygiene and health protocols with sustainability criteria.

Since 2019, tackling plastic pollution had already been defined of the priorities reflected in the Roadmap for Low Carbon and Resource Efficient Tourism in the Philippines. The webinar will provide an overview on the evolving environment, both from the public and private sector perspective, that will require and enable tourism business actions to take ambitious actions to tackle plastic pollution.

Objective

This webinar aims to support tourism businesses to take action on plastic pollution as part of COVID-19 Recovery.

Agenda

• Introduction by moderator and overview of tourism's plastic pollution problem  [UNEP]
• Setting the scene: evolving regulatory and business frameworks driving action.  Results from the Readiness Assessment for the Philippines to increase its ambition to tackle plastic pollution and insights from the phasing out single use plastic campaign [PCEPSDI] 
• Introduction to the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and presentation of the ‘Recommendations for the tourism sector to continue taking action on plastic pollution during COVID-19 recovery’ [UNEP]
• Tourism businesses taking action on plastic pollution in COVID times [Chao Hotel and Club Paradise Palawan]
• (Sneak peek) Presentation: ‘LCA Messaging for Single-use plastic products and the alternatives in the tourism sector’ [UNEP]
• Q&A

For any additional questions about the webinar, please contact Maelys Nizan, maelys.nizan@un.org