Sustainable today, successful tomorrow › Community › Good tourism › What are the common obstacles to reducing single-use plastic? 🥤
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What are the common obstacles to reducing single-use plastic? 🥤
Posted by Jo on 19 October 2022 at 11:44Over the years, we have compiled a list of the common obstacles that businesses face when it comes to reducing single-use plastic. We then use this list to help them identify and implement solutions.
The most common obstacles that we hear are below, but I’d love you to add to my list based on your own experience. The longer the list, the more solutions we can find and the more impact we can make so please go ahead and add anything that comes to mind.
- Brand Standards
- Habits (We’ve always done it like this)
- The guests will complain
- Alternatives are too expensive
- Single use is more hygienic and this is important after COVID
- Staff aren’t interested
Anne replied 1 month, 3 weeks ago 19 Members · 48 Replies -
48 Replies
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Bronze
Lack of political will and enforcement in spite of the ban on single use carrier bags in supermarkets in Uganda
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Bronze
Are there any other rules, for example for tourism businesses or nothing yet?
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Bronze
There is now the beginnings of a global plastics treaty negotiation process, which may lead to new rules.
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Bronze
Breakables are more expensive
Single use plastics are use as re-usables and lightweight
Companies can’t force individuals to stop the use of plastics
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Moderator
Yes, it’s true that breakables are more expensive but high chance it’s cheaper on the long-term. Using reusables helps reduce our waste and negative impact on the environment.
As for your last comment about that companies can’t force individuals to stop the use of plastics – companies don’t have to. It’s not about forcing to stop someone use of plastics, it’s simply offering a (more sustainable) alternative. There are many travellers already reducing their plastic use as well, so it should be seen as an improvement.
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Bronze
The main issue with plastic, especially bottles is that there are no recycling collection for facility points around Uganda for them, especially up country areas which are also the tourist areas. Unless someone can enlighten me?
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Bronze
@Jane Goldring and @tony-ofungi very true. No rubbish collection bin at all is another problem. Plus too many hotels still insist on the small plastic bottles.
But i saw that at Carrefour they take glass bottles back. This would be a start for recycling. In Germany for example people are encouraged to give bottles back by paying them a small fee so other people just collect bottles and make small income out of it.
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Bronze
The common obstacles here in Uganda is mind set is number one. Someone will buy say water and just throw a bottle anywhere without thinking. We see this happen a lot bottles flying from the windows of moving cars. And then now no collecting centers as said earlier not even just collecting bins in shops very rare in Uganda.
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Bronze
Thanks for the insight Conrad. Do you see obstacles within operational areas of businesses too or it is more mindset and behaviour of the consumers of the plastic?
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Bronze
Its pathetic Recently I had had to stop and pick up a bottle that my own cousin I was travelling with had flung out the window in Budongo Forest
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Moderator
Setting the right example is often the first and easiest step for others to copy good behaviour. Well done for stopping @tony-ofungi !
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Bronze
Oh dear, I agree with Anne, setting a good example is so important, it can be frustrating but if we carry on, our behaviour does rub off on others. Here’s to continued determination!
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Bronze
Here mindset is a big problem: In trading centers near tourist attractions have so many plastic garbage; the general population thinks it is okay to dump plastics and Companies that manufacture these products have not figured in the sustainability use of plastics. The message about single use plastics should be clear across the board.
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Moderator
Definitely @mugisha-nelson – do you have thoughts how the tourism industry (and you as tour operators) can contribute to sharing the message?
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Gold
Plastic bottle audits to identify which companies are most responsible for littering. In this way the big companies take up responsibility to control littering or help in the clean up process.
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Bronze
Need to educate people with explaining alternatives available. In many aspects sustainable practices provides positive impact for all.
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Moderator
What kind of alternatives do you offer your customers?
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Silver
Hello Anne ,we are planning to have at least water dispensers in the conference
Hall or restaurant and start spreading the word about the benefits of not using plastic and start using reusable containers plus disposinf off waste using deisgnateded containers.
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Silver
Lack of political will and general lack of knowledge about the dangers of single use plastic by the general public at large ,investing in capacity building about the dangers of single use plastic may be one of the solutions to reduction of plastic pollution
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Moderator
Raising awareness and focusing on capacity building is a good idea, how can you contribute to this?
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Silver
By joining informal and formal groups who have taken it upon themselves to collect plastics and recycle them or make use of them through craft maling plus giving a youth group space at my business premises where they are making use of these collected plastics and turning them into other products that they can sell and earn some money.
They are making use of some of the car tyres that are not in use any more so were disposed off and now we are trying to put them at good use
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Bronze
Note that it is also possible to have plastics that are reusable and therefore environmentally sustainable ,hence the specification of the term ‘single use’ . The distinction is in the grammage because the less the grammage the more difficult it is to recycle .
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Moderator
Very good point Tony! Plastic is a great product and lasts for years. You can use it with the intention to use the product for years. The main issue with plastic is the use of single-use plastic being used on a large scale (and often incorrectly disposed).
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Silver
Hello Anne ,we are planning to have at least water dispensers in the conference
Hall or restaurant and start spreading the word about the benefits of not using plastic and start using reusable containers plus disposinf off waste using deisgnateded containers.
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Moderator
Great initiative to reduce plastic and raise awareness!
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Silver
Rwanda has done so much in regards with plastic reduction. This includes the ban of plastic bags in 2008 and it was successful. You can not find any plastic bag in shops or the streets. However, adding on that list,
The challenge remains convincing locals especially in rural areas that are more touristic like the Northern province in Rwanda, that carrying a reusable bottle is not for tourists and on the other hand, ensuring that those tourists are given refillable water bottles in case they don’t know about it, to avoid locals asking for plastic which ends up somewhere in their gardens. The journey continues and I am glad to be here, as we learn important ways to save mother nature from human beings.
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Moderator
Yes agree, Rwanda has been very pro-active reducing the use of single-use plastic and it’s definitely one of the cleanest African countries I’ve visited. I can imagine there are still issues convincing locals and to make them part of the solution. How is Kingfisher approaching this issue?
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Silver
In everything that we do in Kingfisher journeys, we strive to contribute to the wellbeing of local people. We offer them trainings and create jobs for them that contribute to sustainable development and take practical steps to enhance the environment. This makes them remain part of the solution.
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Moderator
Very good to hear Divine and such an important aspect of the tourism industry!
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Bronze
Government’s failure to put a total burn on all nonreusable manufacturing industries.
Lack of appropriate alternatives.
Community resistance to comply with the rules and regulations
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Bronze
Plastic bags are not used often as before. Now people are using bags that are washable and are used over and over. The environment is no more littered with plastic bag haning on fences.
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Bronze
The biggest problem to environmental pollution in South Africa is the cultural habit. Plus not enough educating of young people about littering.
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