Is Waste Management the Missing Piece in Protecting Our Local Destinations?

Hi everyone 👋

I’ve been thinking a lot about how waste management impacts our local destinations — parks, beaches, town centers, heritage sites, and tourist hotspots — and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

We often talk about boosting tourism, supporting local businesses, and improving visitor experiences, but are we doing enough to manage the waste that comes with increased footfall?

In many areas, especially during peak seasons, we see:

• Overflowing bins

• Litter in natural spaces

• Plastic waste in waterways

• Illegal dumping in quieter spots

It not only damages the environment but also affects how visitors (and residents!) perceive the area. Clean spaces create pride, repeat visits, and positive word of mouth. Poor waste management can have the opposite effect.

Some questions to spark discussion:

• Do you think our local destinations are equipped to handle seasonal waste increases?

• Should businesses contribute more to waste solutions?

• Are current recycling facilities easy and accessible for visitors?

• Would stricter enforcement or more education make a bigger difference?

• Have you seen any successful waste initiatives locally that we could learn from?

Personally, I think collaboration is key — councils, businesses, residents, and visitors all play a role. Simple changes like better bin placement, clearer signage, community clean-ups, and incentives for reducing single-use plastics could make a big impact.

I’d really like to hear what’s working (or not working) in your area. What practical solutions would you suggest to improve waste management in our local destinations?

Looking forward to the discussion 🌍

Making Travel Office Waste Work for Us...

Every day, travel offices generate more waste than we often realize—from printed itineraries and brochures to packaging materials, leftover supplies, and outdated tech. While it’s easy to see this as just trash, what if we could turn it into something useful, sustainable, or even cost-saving for our business?

Let’s brainstorm together:

• How can we reduce paper and printing waste in our daily operations?

• Are there creative ways to reuse brochures, packaging, or office supplies?

• How can we engage the team and clients in making our office greener?

• Could we implement digital tools or processes to minimize unnecessary waste?

Share your ideas, success stories, or even challenges you’ve faced in managing office waste. Let’s find practical, innovative ways to make our travel offices more sustainable—because every small step counts!

Waste management is one of the biggest challenges in sustainable tourism. It requires thoughtful planning, consistent monitoring, and close collaboration with local communities. Working with locals benefits visitors through more authentic experiences and supports the well-being of the communities themselves.

We do not have all the answers, so we are reaching out for your ideas. How can we keep spaces clean without harmful cleaning products? Are there sustainable materials or practices, beyond vinegar and baking soda, that work well for you? We would truly appreciate your tips and experiences as we continue promoting responsible and sustainable tourism together.

Find here the link to my YouTube channel where you find a video where I dwelt with packaging waste and sincerely hope it can be shown on a screen at COP30

https://youtube.com/@bellbanks-m4u?si=8N7sUZr-5d5JZARu

If we are speaking of making the earth greener then we need to deal extensively with packaging waste and how it gets managed. 

Hello everyone, find the link to my YouTube channel and our videos about a greener earth 

https://youtube.com/@bellbanks-m4u?si=pXWE016_PpukqEII

Why Some Waste Items Cost More to Remove and Dispose (and Why They’re Hard to Recycle)

Ana Birliga Sutherland (Writer & Editor at Circle Economy) and Marvin Nusseck (Finance Lead at Circle Economy) reflect on the findings of the recent Circularity Gap Report Finance.

Since 2018, Circle Economy has tracked the circularity of the global economy—revealing that just 6.9% of materials are cycled back into use today, a sharp drop from 9.1% in 2018. The latest report adds a new dimension: finance. Despite the urgent need to accelerate circular solutions, only 2% of tracked investments are directed towards circular business models, highlighting both a critical gap and an untapped economic opportunity.

Read the full blog to explore how capital can play a transformative role in scaling circularity and building more resilient economies.