Sierra Leone Circular Economy in Plastics for Sustainable Tourism and Economic Diversification SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION GUIDELINES FOR HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS © 2024 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. 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Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to World Bank Publications, The World Bank Group, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax: 202-522-2625; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1 2. APPROACH TO MANAGING SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION 4 3. LITERATURE AND SOURCES 14 4. ATTACHMENTS 15 Attachment 1 15 Attachment 2 15 Attachment 3 27 Attachment 4 33 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Share of Total Plastic Use in Hotels in Sierra Leone 1 Figure 2: Share of Total Plastic Use in Restaurants in Sierra Leone 1 Figure 3: A proposed approach to managing single-use plastic reduction 4 Figure 4: Ten steps for managing single-use plastics reduction 5 Figure 5: List of most often used plastic items in the hotels (Excerpt from the Attachment 1) 6 iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Single-use plastic reduction guidelines for hotels and restaurants was prepared within the framework of the Sierra Leone Circular Economy in Plastics for Sustainable Tourism and Economic Diversification project. It was produced by Antea ECG and VDI/VDE Innovation Technik GmbH, Germany, in cooperation with external experts Mrs. Durja Radić and Mrs. Amira Halabi. The team is grateful to the SLEDP PROBLUE team, particularly Mrs. Mary Jalloh and Mrs. Ngozi Obi Sesay, for supporting the implementation of the webinars and workshops with representatives of hotels and restaurants. The team is grateful to the hotels and restaurants that adopted the guidelines. The World Bank team was led by Louise Twining-Ward (TTL), Dario Quaranta and Alie Dukuray Jalloh. Funding for this project is provided by PROBLUE, an umbrella multi-donor trust fund, administered by the World Bank. PROBLUE supports the sustainable and integrated development of marine and coastal resources to promote healthy oceans. iv 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The production of plastic boomed over the last century due to its benefits as being cost-effective, lightweight, easy to make, durable, and recyclable. However, the amounts of plastic waste generated during this period have become a significant environmental problem and a global challenge. Only 15% of plastic waste generated has been recycled worldwide, while large amounts of plastic products end up in the oceans, ecosystems, and landfill sites. When discarded in landfills or the open environment, conventional plastic can take up to a thousand years to decompose. The tourism and travel industry has been recognized as one of the most significant generators of waste, especially with the single-use plastic products used during a tourist’s journey. Consequently, there is a loud global call to action for the tourism industry to reduce the demand for single-use plastic products, reduce non-essential use and promote reusable alternatives. PLASTIC CONSUMPTION IN THE TOURISM SECTOR IN SIERRA LEONE Sierra Leone has recognized the tourism sector as one of the promising pathways to renewed economic development for the country. Therefore, in recent years it has started to make more efforts to improve its image as an international tourist destination. On the other hand, tourism is one of the most prolific generators of plastic waste, contributing to marine litter pollution in the country. With COVID-19-related health and hygienic measures, the problem of single-use plastic has become even more evident. According to the survey on plastic consumption in the tourism sector in Sierra Leone, it is clear that plastic bottles (28%), plastic bags (19%), cutlery (16%), and straws (14%) are the four biggest types of plastic used in the tourism sector. This makes up 77% of total plastic waste. Pre-portioned food and sachets (7%) and single-use cups (6%) are the only other categories with a share in excess of 5%. Plastic bottles and plastic bags make up over 50% of plastic pieces used by hotels in Sierra Leone, followed by pre-portioned food and sachets. Plastic cutlery and straws represent an additional challenge for the restaurant sector in Sierra Leone. Figure 1: Share of Total Plastic Use in Hotels in Sierra Figure 2: Share of Total Plastic Use in Restaurants Leone in Sierra Leone Source: Survey on plastic consumption in the tourism sector in Sierra Leone, September 2021 1 SIERRA LEONE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN PLASTICS FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION PROJECT The Sierra Leone Circular Economy in Plastics for Sustainable Tourism and Economic Diversification Project focuses on supporting the national and local government entities to foster sustainable industrial growth and sustainable tourism by implementing circular economy strategies to curb the use of plastic products in Sierra Leone. The Project is supported by a World Bank-Executed Trust fund called PROBLUE and is part of the joint efforts of the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank within the Initiative “Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP)”. The project will provide advice on the design of policy interventions to enable a shift towards a more circular economy aiming to mitigate marine litter in the country and increase Sierra Leone’s attractiveness for tourism. One of the specific objectives of the project is to identify tourism sector solutions and draft guidelines for reducing the consumption of single-use plastics in hotels and restaurants. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE GUIDELINES These guidelines are designed to help hoteliers in Sierra Leone create their own single-use plastic (SUP) reduction programs and support them to improve their business models towards reducing plastics consumption. The guidelines are designed as a manual or handbook for managing single-use plastic reduction by providing (i) advice to hoteliers on how to approach to reduction of single-use plastic products (SUPPs), and (ii) information, practical advice, and suggested alternatives for the most commonly found single-use and often unnecessary plastic items in hotels. The guidelines are structured around good practices as defined by selected international practices. Several studies, handbooks, and guidelines for reducing plastic in hotels and restaurants are already published1. They show how important it is to tackle this challenge for the future of tourism. It shows the high level of awareness of many international hotel chains and international organizations to contribute to solving the ecological issues occasioned by the unregulated use of SUPPs. In addition, the guidelines respect all findings regarding the use of plastic in Sierra Leone, which were identified in the Entrepreneurial Discovery Workshop (EDW) and field study of tourism sector in Sierra Leone, conducted from August – December 2021 within the PROBLUE project. 1 The most recently published articles are listed in the Section: Literature and Sources at the end of this paper. 2 STRUCTURE OF THE DOCUMENT The structure of the present Guidelines document is as follows. Firstly, we present the overall approach to managing SUPs reduction in the tourism sector consisting of the four main stages for reducing single-use plastic products in hotels. Each stage is comprised of 2-4 steps. Altogether there are ten steps to be implemented. All steps are described in detail and include several tips and recommendations for the most frequently used SUPs identified in the hotels and restaurants. The guidelines provide strategies for reduction as well as some alternative approaches. Lastly, there are 4 Attachments. Attachment 1 (Excel file) provides a detailed list of most frequently used plastics in the hotels and restaurants with the supporting tools for self-assessment of the plastic consumption and costs (Table 1), and tools for calculating the financial projections according to the SUP reduction program (Table 2). It also includes a detailed list of alternatives to plastic items that can be used in different hotel departments (Table 3) and restaurants (Table 4). Attachment 2 provides simple strategies and alternatives for SUP reduction. Attachment 3 provides a template for drafting a single- use plastic reduction program and action plan. Attachment 4 provides a case of green policy of the training Hotel Astoria Bled, Slovenia. 3 2. APPROACH TO MANAGING SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION Addressing the use of SUP in a hotel might seem to be a challenging undertaking in the beginning. Accordingly, we suggest a systematic approach that will support the hotel management in managing their plastic reductions in an effective way. Our approach includes 4 main stages of single-use plastic reduction strategy: (1) self–assessment, (2) creating a SUP reduction plan, (3) creating a SUP reduction policy, and (4) measuring progress & evaluating the outcomes (Figure 3). Figure 3: A proposed approach to managing single-use plastic reduction • Learn more about your • Select the most challenging plastic use and alternatives. items; How much and which types of • Research possible strategies & SUP do you use? Assess your available alternatives; plastic consumption and • Set targets for SUP reduction; costs. • Prepare an Action plan. 2. 1. CREATE YOUR UNDERSTAKE SINGLE-USE SELF PLASTIC ASSESSMENT REDUCTION PLAN 4. 3. CREATE A MEASURE SINGLE-USE PROGRESS & • Inform & train your staff PLASTIC • Ensure regular (monthly) EVALUATE • Communicate your policy monitoring of the progress REDUCTION to your guests OUTCOMES • Identify obstacles & react POLICY • Discuss your ambitions promptly with corrective with your suppliers actions • Discuss your ambitions • Calculate your SUP with municipality, town, consumption and costs waste collectors / • Evaluate the outcomes recycling stations Source: Author, based/adapted from publicly available guidelines and handbook; see the Literature & sources Each stage includes several steps and activities that need to be implemented to ensure the effectiveness of the program for single-use plastics reduction (Figure 4). 4 Figure 4: Ten steps for managing single-use plastics reduction Source: Authors All steps are described in more detail below. UNDERSTAKE A SELF-ASSESSMENT STEP 1: Establish a working group for the SUP reduction program. SUP items can be found in all hotel departments. In order to fully understand the hotel’s plastic footprint (means assessment of plastic consumption and costs), joined up thinking from all hotel departments is required (Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, 2021). The first step in your journey to SUP reduction in your hotel is to establish a working group. The members of the working group should be employees from all departments that use single-use plastics. UNDERTAKE A SELF-ASSESSMENT STEP 2: Learn more about your plastic use and assess your plastic consumption. Learning more about your plastic use is the starting point for creating SUP reduction program. In this step, you will prepare a list of single-use plastic items, which are used in your hotel. Knowing your single- use plastic consumption will help you identify: ➔ How many disposable SUP products do you use? ➔ How much did you buy, and how much did it cost you? The main task within this step is to calculate your single-use plastic consumption and costs per year. For this purpose, use Table 1 in Attachment 1. The Table provides the list of the most commonly used SUP items in each hotel department. First, select which disposable plastics you currently use. Insert the 5 items, which are not included in the Table (if any) or divide the group of listed SUP items into individual SUP items. Then enter how many pieces you buy each month and how much each piece costs. Your total plastic consumption per year will be calculated automatically. It will provide you with an insight on how much you spend for SUPPs per month and per year thus providing you with a baseline for preparing a strategy for reduction of your costs for SUPPs. Figure 5: List of most often used plastic items in the hotels (Excerpt from the Attachment 1) Note: The full list of most often used plastic items in hotels is in Attachment 1. Direct cost savings can be achieved through the reduction in single-use plastic products. Additionally, indirect savings can be made through reduced staff time on ordering and handling stock and clearing used disposable plastic items from the bar, restaurant, and pool areas. CREATE YOUR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION PLAN STEP 3: Select the most often used SUP items. Based on your plastic consumption assessment (Step 2), identify the top 2-6 or most frequently used SUP items in your hotel which are also the most harmful to the environment. Prioritize items that customers remove from the premises. They are most at risk of becoming litter. Also prioritize items that present the highest costs. 6 For each selected SUP item assess: ➔ What past actions successfully reduced disposable items or increased recycling, if any? ➔ Ask your staff what waste issues they see. CREATE YOUR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION PLAN STEP 4: Research possible strategies and alternatives for SUP reduction. In this step, you will research possible strategies and alternatives for reduction of the most frequently used SUP items in your hotel, identified in Step 3. The main aim of this step is to find most suitable / feasible strategies or alternatives for the selected SUP items for your hotel in terms of availability on the market, price, and quality. There are several possible strategies and alternatives for reduction of SUPs. The list of alternatives and strategies for the reduction of particular SUP items is provided in Attachment 1, and Tables 3 and 4. The sample solutions offered in these guidelines are based on international standards and practices. However, some of them are not yet viable for implementation in Sierra Leone due to unavailability, high costs, low quality of alternatives or other reasons. Accordingly, the solutions offered in these guidelines are divided into two categories. The first includes the solutions which we believe are viable in Sierra Leone. The second includes other possible solutions which require dedicated actions in order to turn them into viable solutions in Sierra Leone. The following principle of the ‘4-Rs’ will help you manage your use of plastics: Re move, Reduce, Replace and Recycle. There is a lot you can consider when applying these actions in your hotel. 1. REMOVE • Assess which single-use items are not necessary and you can eliminate them entirely. 2. REDUCE • Consider consumption of which items can be reduced. • Consider which items can be replaced with reusable alternatives (e.g. reusable plastic cup 3. REPLACE / or metal cutlery). • For unavoidable SUP items choose materials that come from a sustainable source for REUSE affordable price. • Make sure you know how to recycle or dispose them (alternatives). • For SUP items that do remain in hotel, switch to items that can be recycled and disposed 4. RECYCLE safely if recycling is not available. 7 For each selected SUP item in Step 3: ➔ Research what strategies and alternatives are feasible and most suitable for your hotel in terms of availability on the market, price, and quality. ➔ In case you choose to Replace/Reuse or Recycle Strategy, name possible suppliers and the prices of the SUP items. ➔ With regard to disposing of the SUP items, check with waste collectors and recycling stations the terms and conditions for certain SUP waste disposal (costs, sorting requirements, etc.). ➔ Check conditions in your hotel for effective waste disposal for certain SUP items. CREATE YOUR SINGLE-USE PLASTICS REDUCTION PLAN STEP 5: Set targets for a reduction plan. Select the SUP items, for which basic conditions (such as availability of alternatives and appropriate disposal options) are fulfilled. These are the items which are the most appropriate to tackle first. For the others identify the main obstacles/barriers for reduction (i.e., no alternatives available on the market, high costs, and no appropriate disposal options in place). These will help to inform the policy makers in your town to implement appropriate strategies, policies, and measures to improve the situation. Write down your ambitions and set targets. What do you want to achieve and what is the timeframe? Example: SUP reduction goals Our hotel is committed to reducing SUP consumption. We will remove all single-use plastic items by the end of 2025 in the following timeframe: ➔ Complete removal of plastic straws and replace them with reusable straws by the end of 2022. ➔ Complete removal of all plastic bottles and replace them with touchless water dispensers, placed on each floor, at the reception, and other public areas in the hotel, by the end of 2024. ➔ Complete replacement of individually packaged amenities (shampoo, shower gel, soap) in the guestrooms with dispensers by the end of 2025. CREATE YOUR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION PLAN STEP 6: Prepare an Action Plan for SUP reduction Once you set the targets and goals for SUP reduction, you need to answer the question, how will you reach the targets? What do you need? What actions are required? You need to prepare an Action Plan that will include a detailed list of actions and activities, responsible people, and a time frame for their implementation. 8 Example: Replacing plastic water bottles with water dispensers in all departments in the hotel WHEN (by the WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WHO? month, year)? Purchase of water dispensers CEO December 2022 Agreement with water suppliers CEO December 2022 Arranging waste disposal in the hotel Maintenance officer January 2023 Agreement with recycling station for collection of bulk water CEO January 2023 bottles Adjusting Standard Operating Procedures CEO February 2023 Preparing communication plan for guests Sales manager March 2023 Training of staff HR manager March 2023 The introduction of alternatives to SUP items will most probably require some investments (i.e., purchasing of water dispensers), and adjustments to your standard operating procedures. For example: ➔ If you will replace plastic water bottles with recyclable, you need to adjust the collection and sorting of these water bottles in your hotel, by providing bins for water bottle collection, making agreements with waste collectors, and so on. ➔ If you will replace individual packaged soap and shower gels with dispensers, you need to arrange timely refill and cleaning of the dispensers. It will also require a well-prepared information and communication plan for your main stakeholders (staff, guests, suppliers, municipality, waste collectors, recycling stations, etc.), which you will use in the implementation of Stage 3 (Create your single-use plastic reduction policy) of this exercise, more explicitly in Step 7: Inform and communicate your SUP reduction policy with your main stakeholders. All of these requirements need to be considered and included in the Action Plan. Once your Action Plan is in place, review short and long-term financial projections to evaluate your changes and readjust as needed. Many plastic reduction strategies are free, cost-effective, or cost- neutral. Other changes may require an upfront investment but can save you money after a few short weeks or months. The cost savings and SUP items consumption reduction can be calculated with the tool provided in Attachment 1, Table 2. However, you need to adapt it to your specific situation. CREATE A SINGLE-USE PLASTICS REDUCTION POLICY STEP 7: Inform and communicate your SUP reduction policy with your main stakeholders. When your SUP reduction plan is ready, you can start implementing it. A successful sustainability strategy cannot be implemented well without the support of your most important stakeholders: staff, guests, suppliers and municipality, waste collectors, and recycling stations. They need to understand why you do it, what would you like to achieve, and how they can help you. This section provides you with suggestions on how to approach the stakeholders. 9 1. INFORM, INVOLVE, AND TRAIN YOUR STAFF Engaging your staff in the plastic reduction program is vital. They are at the forefront of the guest experience, and they should understand what you want to achieve. Once they understand the issue with positive encouragement and are given the opportunity to get involved and make a difference, this will make achieving your ambitions a lot easier. Well-trained and engaged employees will act as expected of them, come up with good ideas to improve, and can communicate well on the topic to your guests. It is important to inform and train them about how your business intends to cut down on single-use plastic and why this is so important. 2. INFORM AND COMMUNICATE YOUR AMBITIONS TO BECOME MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WITH YOUR GUESTS In the process of reducing SUP in your hotel, it is very important that you communicate positively with your guests. They must be informed about what you are doing, why you are doing it, and what they can do to support your efforts. Most of the guests are already aware of the negative impacts of SUP on the environment and they are willing to support you in your ambitions to act more environmentally friendly or sustainably. You just need to inform them. Positive messaging and communication on removing single-use plastics can be placed throughout the hotel, and staff can inform and explain more about your plastic reduction program. It is important to take guests with you on your journey. After all, keeping safe and looking after the environment is everyone’s responsibility. It is important to think about the type of guests your business attracts and the style that works with your brand, but there are some core principles that apply across the board. It is important to remember that communicating with guests is not just about written signage, it involves all of the things that you say and do. ➔ Make any instructions clear and easy to understand. ➔ List your green credentials in your description on booking sites. ➔ Provide pre-trip information in confirmation and follow-up emails. ➔ Create a welcome introduction pack that includes all relevant sustainability information or make it available through a QR code or app. ➔ Ask guests to rate your green credentials and share your achievements on their own social media networks. ➔ Provide suitable instructions for your guests on the disposal of waste both on the premises and at the destination. Encourage separation for recycling where possible. If you are concerned that waste could be contaminated, follow local regulations for safe disposal. 10 Case: Hotel Astoria Bled in Slovenia communicates its green philosophy to its guests as Our Story, which is published on websites, in guestrooms, restaurants, reception, lobby, wellness center, and conference rooms ( Picture 1). More detailed information is available in Attachment 4. Picture 1: Communication of the green philosophy to the guests of the Hotel Astoria Bled, Slovenia Source: Hotel Astoria Bled websites. Retrieved from: https://www.hotelastoria-bled.com/welcome Some other cases and examples are provided below. Instead of a generic message such as "Help to keep our beaches clean" choose more personalized message such as "Refilling your reusable bottle helps to keep plastic bottles out of the environment where we live and the beautiful beaches that you have come here to enjoy" (Hendrickx, 2021). Source: https://www.coda- plastics.co.uk/blog/launching-home- compostable-coffee-capsules; 11 3. SUPPLIERS Your single-use plastics reduction program is a challenging ambition and engaging your suppliers may help you to cut down on the plastic waste that enters your business. You can encourage suppliers to use less plastic (e.g., in packaging), allowing you to return plastics to them, or adopt alternative ways of delivery. In procurement, buying in bulk has proven to reduce plastic waste as well, and talking about the plastic waste issue may help you to come up with solutions that work for you and your suppliers. ➔ Identify the suppliers that currently deliver goods in plastic packaging. ➔ Contact suppliers to inform them of your objectives to reduce plastic and ask if they are willing to help you to reduce or eliminate unnecessary packaging, for example: ➔ Could they deliver in returnable packaging e.g., crates for fruit, vegetables, and salads? ➔ Will they take back containers so that they can clean, sanitize, and reuse them e.g., cleaning and swimming pool chemicals? ➔ Do they or your staff already know of plastic-free alternatives that are available locally or internationally? ➔ What items, if any, could be changed from individual to bulk purchases e.g., miniature shampoo/conditioner is replaced with refillable alternatives, staff drinking water is provided by returnable carafes rather than individual bottles. ➔ Can any changes potentially create financial savings as well as reduce waste? What is the Return on Investment if an initial outlay is required? 4. THE MUNICIPALITY AND WASTE COLLECTORS/RECYCLING STATIONS Not all materials can be recycled and the local infrastructure in each destination varies considerably. It is advisable to communicate your plastic reduction strategy with the waste/recycling companies and the municipality, to find out what all parties can do for each other. You will also get a better idea of what solutions may be at hand in the near future. This will allow you to adjust your strategy to your local situation, while at the same time having a transparent conversation about the reduction of plastics in the destination. Keeping the engagement positive and coming up with practical solutions with all relevant parties will bring about the best results. CREATE A SINGLE-USE PLASTICS REDUCTION POLICY STEP 8: Prepare a written SUP reduction policy. When your SUP reduction plan is ready, you need to prepare an official SUP reduction policy. The policy should provide: ➔ Your goals and targets for SUP reduction. ➔ Your SUP reduction plan with the timeframe. Ensure that other policies (like contracting procedures, purchasing documents, and product specifications) do not conflict with it. Remove obstacles or add language as needed to harmonize your policies. Your policy is a useful reference for you and your staff. Revisit and update it as necessary for the greatest impact and to ensure that the procedures are actually followed. Over time, your business needs may change, new situations can arise, and new sustainable products will become available. A sample of the SUP reduction policy (Product Stewardship Institute, 2019) is presented below. 12 MEASURE PROGRESS AND EVALUATE THE OUTCOMES STEP 9: Ensure regular monitoring of the progress made. Regular monitoring of the progress made will ensure that you stay on the path towards achieving your targets and goals. It will also ensure that you detect the obstacles and barriers to achieving your goals, thus enabling you to react promptly and prepare/adjust your program to the new circumstances/situations. For monitoring, you can use the tool, used for calculating financial projections in (Table 2, Attachment 1). MEASURE PROGRESS AND EVALUATE THE OUTCOMES STEP 10: Evaluate outcomes. Evaluation of the outcomes will provide you with information about the main achievement on your journey to reduce SUP in your hotel. It will serve you as input to prepare a new SUP reduction plan for new SUP or other plastic items in your hotel. The self-assessment tool used in Step 2 and financial projections prepared in Step 6 should be used to evaluate your savings in terms of the amount of reduced SUP items. However, it should be upgraded with some qualitative measures such as guest satisfaction, staff motivation, cooperation with suppliers, municipality/town, waste collectors, and recycling stations. 13 3. LITERATURE AND SOURCES ACCOR. (2019). Stop sinlge-use plastic items. Operational Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.google.si/search?q=Accor+Stop+single+use+plastic+items&ei=LAO1YdmJB6npsAeSyJuIBw &ved=0ahUKEwjZz5- 9xNz0AhWpNOwKHRLkBnEQ4dUDCA4&uact=5&oq=Accor+Stop+single+use+plastic+items&gs_lcp=Cgd nd3Mtd2l6EAM6BwgAEEcQsAM6CggAEEcQsAMQyQNKBQiVThgBSgQIQRgASgQI Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. (2020). Recommendations for the tourism sector to continue taking action on plastic . Retrieved from https://webunwto.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2020- 11/recommendations%20for%20tackling%20plastics%20during%20covid%20recovery%20in%20tourism- eng.pdf GreenerGuest. (2021, 12). How to reduce plastic and keep guests save. Knowledge Hub. Learning Zone. Retrieved from https://www.greenerguest.com/knowledge-hub/ Hendrickx, J. (2021, April 12). Travel without Plastic. Retrieved from 4 key success strategies of hotels reducing single-use plastic: https://www.travelwithoutplastic.com/post/4-key-success-strategies-of-hotels- reducing-single-use-plastic Product Stewardship Institute. (2019). 3 Steps to Reduce Plastic & Benefit Your Business: A Guide for Restaurants and Eateries. Retrieved from https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.productstewardship.us/resource/resmgr/files/psi_plastic_reduction_gui de.pdf Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. (2021, 12 16). Single-use plastics factsheets. Retrieved from https://sustainablehospitalityalliance.org/resource/single-use-plastic-factsheet/ TUI. (2021, 12). Plastic reduction guidelines for hotels. Retrieved from www.tuigroup.com: https://www.tuigroup.com/damfiles/default/downloads/plastic_reduction_guide.pdf- 2f4f4f0e2278382fcd50d9a530985b84.pdf 14 4. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1 Attachment 1 is in the Excel file. It provides: ➔ a detailed list of the most frequently used plastics in the hotels and restaurants with the supporting tools for self-assessment of the plastic consumption and costs (Table 1), ➔ tools for calculating the financial projections according to the SUP reduction program (Table 2), ➔ a detailed list of alternatives to plastic items that can be used in different hotel departments (Table 3), ➔ a detailed list of alternatives to plastic items that can be used in restaurants (Table 4). Attachment 2 ALTERNATIVES FOR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEMS REDUCTION In the attachment the list of alternatives and strategies for the reduction of particular SUP items is provided. We focus only on the most urgent SUP items with the highest shares of plastic consumption in Sierra Leone hotels: ➔ Plastic bottles (35%)2, ➔ Plastic bags (23%), ➔ Pre-portioned food and sachets (11%), ➔ Straws (6%) ➔ Amenities/toiletries (6%) ➔ Gloves (5%) ➔ Cutlery (4%). For other SUP items which might be important for your hotel, see a short description of options in Attachment 1, Table 3 and 4. 2 These are percentage of all plastic items used in hotels in Sierra Leone. 15 1. PLASTIC BOTTLES Plastic bottles (mainly plastic water bottles) are the most often used single-use plastic items in hotels. They can be found in guest rooms, kitchens, restaurants and (pool) bars, conference rooms, spa, and gym. STRATEGIES / ALTERNATIVES IMMEDIATE ADDITIONAL ACTIONS APPLICATION REQUIRED POSSIBLE • Manufacturing of glass bottles in the country ➔ Replace plastic water • Improving bottles with glass bottles in transport all hotel departments. infrastructure • Incentives for collecting used bottles ➔ Instead of plastic water bottles in guests’ rooms, use a water dispenser or refill station close to the room (i.e., one on each floor) and provide a glass carafe in the room. You can apply the same in restaurants, conference • Investment in rooms, spa, and gym, √ water dispensers providing glass cups • Adjustment of SOP3 instead of a single-use plastic one. ➔ Water refill stations should be hands-free, such as automatic dispensers or those operated with a foot pump. 3 SOP: Standard operating procedure 16 ➔ Reusable water bottles should be encouraged, and systems should be in place for guests to either purchase bottles or have a system of distributing clean bottles as required and collecting returns for • Purchase of cleaning/disinfection. You resusable can put your logo on the water bottles bottle. (preferably metal, glass) ➔ Washable, refillable water √ • Establishment bottles can be also loaned of water to guests for a small bottles deposit. A system can be cleaning set up at drink, food & • Adjustment of beverage stations for SOP reusable bottles to be requested/returned by guests. This will allow for these items to be effectively cleaned and avoid the proliferation of single-use plastic bottles. • Purchase of reusable cups for water and other drinks ➔ Use reusable materials where possible. • Stimulation of √ local suppliers ➔ Avoid glass around the to offer pool for safety reasons. alternative materials (e. g. bamboo etc). ➔ At least use recyclable √ plastic bottles. If you must • Improvement continue to use single-use of collection plastic, choose products system in the with recycled content destination where possible as this is a • Establishing more efficient use of separation of resources. After use, ensure plastic bottles they are also separated for in the hotel for recycling. recycling. 17 2. PLASTIC BAGS Plastic bags are the second most frequently used single-use plastic items in hotels. They can be found in all hotel departments in bins. They are used for laundry collection. STRATEGIES / OPTIONS IMMEDIATE APPLICATION ADDITIONAL ACTIONS POSSIBLE REQUIRED ➔ Stop the use of bin liners in the bedrooms and use in bathrooms. Only √ change only when soiled ➔ Replace plastic bags with • Support of local compostable bags. This is the most manufacturing for effective strategy if you believe that textile / cotton bags this will keep your guests’ √ • Increase incentives expectations. for using ➔ Provide reusable shopping bags in the compostable bags reception area/hotel rooms. ➔ Change your policy regarding laundry bags in the guestrooms. Options are: o Explain to the guests that a bag will be provided at reception or on request if • Support of local laundry is needed. manufacturing for √ o Use reusable laundry bags such as textile / cotton bags cotton, linen or paper bags. o If the laundry is external, apply policy to reduce plastic bags or encourage less use. 3. PRE-PORTIONED FOOD AND SACHETS Pre-portioned food and sachets can be found in guestrooms, kitchens, restaurants, and (pool) bars, and in conference rooms. The most commonly used sachets in guestrooms are tea/coffee bags and plastic capsules for the coffee machines. These items can also be found in conference rooms. Individual portions, mainly for breakfast (jam, honey, chocolate spread, butter, yogurt, etc.), are served in restaurants. The most effective strategies for pre-portioned food and sachets reduction are: ➔ individual plastic packaging removed or ➔ replaced by high content or dispensers or ➔ replaced by packaging in sustainable material. Some options are presented below. 18 STRATEGIES/OPTIONS IMMEDIATE ADDITIONAL APPLICATION ACTIONS POSSIBLE REQUIRED ➔ Switch from plastic pots to bulk. √ ➔ Serve the food primarily in open jars and bowls. The food i.e., butter could be pre- portioned, but without plastic. In the current Adaptation COVID-19 environment it is suggested that of SOP this kind should be operated by serving √ (serving the staff to avoid contact or the guests should food) have the only choice to pick up the food pieces with their own cutlery (not used before, of course). ➔ Instead of serving condiments (mayonnaise, ketchup, etc.) in single-use sachets, you can use condiments and sauce dispensers, providing sauce in bowls or in bottles. Purchase of ➔ In the current COVID-19 environment it is dispensers suggested that any system of this kind should either be of a contactless operation Adaptation √ type or be operated by serving staff, or the of SOP bottles must be cleaned and sanitized (serving the between uses, which is not a very food) comfortable option. Purchase of small ➔ Condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and washable jam can be pre-portioned in the kitchen into dishes small washable dishes. However, they should be designed to protect the contents from √ Adaptation contamination or served by the serving staff. of SOP (serving the food) √ ➔ Edible wafer dishes are an easy and low- cost option. ➔ If single-use condiments are required, Adaptation √ guests should be able to specify the of SOP 19 requirement for certain condiments that (serving the can be provided with the food during the food) service process. This will reduce the quantity of packaged items that are wasted. ➔ Replace single packaged tea bags and plastic capsules for coffee machines in guestrooms, restaurants, and conference centers. ➔ In guestrooms, you can use loose √ tea/coffee/sugar. Where guestrooms have refrigerators, milk can be provided in lidded jugs. ➔ Where loose tea/coffee/sugar is not feasible, choose products that are wrapped in paper and not plastic. Provide this service on request or an appropriate quantity per guest to avoid overstocking. √ ➔ Use reusable coffee and tea capsules (stainless steel, compostable, biodegradable). ➔ Provide public tea & coffee stations close to the rooms (e.g., one on each floor). In the current COVID-19 environment it’s suggested that any system of this kind Purchase of should be contactless. tea & coffee machines ➔ Tea/coffee machines could be provided √ also in restaurants, bars, conference Adaptation centers, having in mind contactless options of SOP or operation type or be operated by serving staff to prevent contamination or infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. 20 4. STRAWS Straws are mainly used in kitchens, restaurants, and (pool) bars. Some strategies for the reduction of straws are presented below. STRATEGIES / OPTIONS IMMEDIATE ADDITIONAL APPLICATION ACTIONS POSSIBLE REQUIRED ➔ The most effective strategy would be to eliminate this plastic item. You can introduce the No straws policy. √ However, some guests may need a straw for medical or some other reason. This makes it difficult to eliminate straws completely. To reduce consumption, the use of straws should be controlled. Here are some options: ➔ Ask the guest if she/he needs the item instead of automatically √ giving it. ➔ Use self-serve dispensers that release one item at a time instead of open containers. These encourage guests to take only what they need, instead of grabbing a handful. In addition, this decreases the potential contamination risk. ➔ Provide straws on request only. This will create a barrier that will reduce consumption while it will still satisfy those guests that particularly want or need to drink √ from a straw. Explain to guests your ambitions to operate in a more eco-friendly and sustainable manner. 21 ➔ The next option is to replace Improve plastic straws with reusable (steel, availability on the glass, paper, and bamboo) straws Stainless reusable market only on request. Reusable straws typically come with cleaning straws Adaptation of wands, which allow for easy SOP cleaning. Bamboo straws ➔ Serve edible straws made from Improve rice, wheat, pasta that are availability on the available on the market. market Edible rice straws 22 5. AMENITIES /TOILETRIES / ACCESSORIES Amenities/toiletries are found in the guestroom’s bathrooms. Traditionally toiletries and amenities have automatically been provided in guestrooms. The convenience of providing amenities should not be overlooked. However, in light of our ambition to reduce single-use plastic, we should find more sustainable solutions for this plastic item too. STRATEGIES/OPTIONS IMMEDIATE ADDITIONAL APPLICATION ACTIONS REQUIRED POSSIBLE HOTEL ➔ The most effective • Purchase strategy is to dispensers replace individually • Adaptation of packaged SOP amenities (soap, • Separating shampoo, shower recyclable plastic gel) with dispensers items if possible refillable or at least DESTINATION recyclable, and to • Improve waste avoid separation and contamination and √ disposal system infection also be contactless. BUSINESS CASES • Support domestic firms to manufacture dispensers from alternative materials • Establish recycling station in the destination ➔ The other strategy to reduce single-use plastic amenities is to provide them on request only. Many guests already bring their own amenities (shampoo, shower gel, conditioner, toothpaste) √ that they use at home. The exception is soap or gel for handwashing which should be available in guestrooms. In this case, choose recyclable packaged items. 23 ➔ Depending on the urgency of the requirement, the hotel should have a system to fulfill requests for amenities in a timely manner to avoid any complaints. In this regard, providing guests • Communicate plan to information that explains that an effort is being √ guests made to operate more sustainably is crucial. Some guests may still request excessive or unnecessary quantities of items but overall, this will lead to reduced consumption. ➔ For other accessories in the guestrooms (Dental Kit, Sewing Kit, Shaving Kit, Comb, Hairbrush, Shower Cap) changes can be made on the product and the packaging, namely: o plastic packaging replaced by sustainable material, as for example, cardboard and/or o plastic products replaced by sustainable material (wood, stainless steel, bamboo). • Improve availability on the market ➔ Depending on the brand, the product may not be • Communicate plan put by default in the room, but made available at with guests reception or on request, in order to reduce √ volumes, costs, and waste. • Adapt SOPs 24 6. GLOVES Gloves, mainly disposable gloves can be found in housekeeping and in the kitchen. STRATEGIES/OPTIONS IMMEDIATE ADDITIONAL APPLICATION ACTIONS REQUIRED POSSIBLE • Establish ➔ The most effective sorting of strategy is to waste in replace plastic the hotel disposable gloves with compostable or biodegradable • Improve √ disposable gloves waste that can be found collection on the market. and disposal in the destination ➔ Give some thought to the type of gloves you choose. Latex is a natural material and is preferable to plastic as it will safely decompose in around 6 √ months. However, latex can trigger allergies so you will need to have alternatives on hand. 25 7. CUTLERY Single-use plastic cutlery can be found in the kitchen, restaurants, and (pool) bars. It is most often used for take-away meals. STRATEGIES / OPTIONS IMMEDIATE ADDITIONAL APPLICATION ACTIONS POSSIBLE REQUIRED ➔ Replace single-use plastic cutlery with: o reusable metal cutlery or o single-use compostable or biodegradable cutlery • Improve (wood, cardboard, bamboo, availability √ etc.) or on the o reusable hard plastic cutlery, market if any other alternatives are available in the market for an affordable price. ➔ Avoid the use of any single-use plastics for drinks and snacks in relaxation areas. Use the same strategies as for restaurants and √ bars. ➔ Plastic take-away packaging, cutlery, plates, glass, and coffee lids, • Improve replaced by availability reusable/returnable items / on the or cardboard or market compostable packaging. 26 Attachment 3 TEMPLATE FOR DRAFTING SINGLE-USE PLASTICS REDUCTION PROGRAM This template includes all the main issues that need to be addressed in the single-use plastic reduction program. It is designed to support you by drafting your own SUP reduction program. However, you could design your program using other structure of the document. 27 SINGLE-USE PLASTIC REDUCTION PROGRAM FOR (name of the company/hotel) 1. Introduction In the introduction briefly present: - Why did you decided to prepare the single-use plastic reduction program for your hotel? - What is your commitment? - Who prepared the program and who will be responsible for its implementation? Example: Plastic waste is a big problem all over the world, and also in our destination. Therefore, we must work together to reduce this waste. Since our hotel is located close to the beach - like many other hotels as well – we consider the reduction of plastic waste as a responsibility, not as a duty – for the benefit of our guests and for nature. Our commitment is: We will eliminate all guest related single-use plastics items by the end of 2028. We will not wait for others to solve this problem. We are proactive. We are ready to take the action, starting with this first Single-use plastics reduction plan. For drafting single-use plastic reduction plan, we have established a working group, which will be responsible also for implementation of planned activities. The members of the working group are: Name 1; Team Leader Name 2; Member, responsible for assessment of SUP consumption, monitoring and evaluation Name 3; Member, responsible for Standard Operations Procedures adjustment Name 4; …. You don’t need to establish working group. However, it is recommended to include your staff in drafting and implementation of SUP reduction program. 28 Plastic waste is a big problem all over the world, and also in our destination. Therefore, we must work together to reduce this waste. Since our hotel is located 2. Selection of SUP items In this section, you will combine the results of Step 3 and Step 4. - Based on the SUP items assessment in your hotel (Step 2), briefly describe which SUP items are the most frequently used in your hotel. The next step is to define SUP items which you have chosen for the SUP reduction program. For the selection of SUP items, you need to research possible strategies/alternatives first, to find out which strategies or alternatives are feasible/viable for your hotel, regarding availability, costs, and quality. - Name the selected SUP items for inclusion in the SUP reduction program. - Describe, why did you choose these items? - For each selected SUP item describe what past actions successfully reduced disposable items or increased recycling if any. 3. Strategies/alternatives for reduction of each selected SUP item In this section explain, which strategy/alternative for reduction of each selected SUP item will you use (according to the results of Step 4). Provide: - Brief description of the strategy/alternative. - In case you choose Replace/Reuse or Recycle Strategy, name possible (or already identified) suppliers. - Information on prices of the SUPP alternatives or reduction strategy. - With regard to disposing of the SUP item, provide information on costs, sorting requirements, and other issues, important for ensuring appropriate waste disposal for certain SUP item. - Description, what are the conditions in your hotel for effective waste disposal for certain SUP item. What adjustments are needed (investments, adjustment of standard operations procedures, etc.) for establishing effective waste disposal? 29 4. SUP reduction goals Write down your ambitions and set targets. What do you want to achieve and what is the timeframe? Example: Our hotel is committed to reducing SUP consumption. We will remove all single-use plastic items by the end of 2025 in the following timeframe: - Complete removal of plastic straws and replace them with reusable straws by the end of 2022 - Complete removal of all plastic bottles and replace them with touchless water dispensers, placed on each floor, at the reception, and other public areas in the hotel, by the end of 2024. - Complete removal of all plastic bags and replace them with textile bags, by the end of 2023. - Complete replacement of individually packaged amenities (shampoo, shower gel, soap) in the guestrooms with dispensers by the end of 2025. Our hotel is committed to reducing SUP consumption. We will remove all single-use plastic items by the end of 2025 in the following timeframe: 5. Action plan - Complete removal of plastic straws and replace them with reusable straws by the end of 2022 - Complete removal of all plastic bottles and replace them with touchless water dispensers, placed on each floor, at the reception, and other public areas in the hotel, by the end of 2024. - Complete removal of all plastic bags and replace them with textile bags, by the end of 2023. - Complete replacement of individually packaged amenities (shampoo, shower gel, soap) in the guestrooms with dispensers by the end of 2025. 30 In this section (Step 6) describe: - How will you reach the targets? - What do you need? Describe investments needed. - What actions are required? Describe adjustment of your standard operating procedures, and other actions you need to implement to reach your targets/goals. An Action Plan shall include a detailed list of actions and activities, responsible people, and a timeframe for their implementation. Example: Replacing plastic water bottles with water dispensers in all departments in the hotel WHEN (by the WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? WHO? month, year)? Purchase of water dispensers CEO December 2022 Agreement with water suppliers CEO December 2022 Arranging waste disposal in the hotel Maintenance officer January 2023 Agreement with recycling station for collection of bulk water CEO January 2023 bottles Adjusting Standard Operating Procedures CEO February 2023 Preparing communication plan for guests Sales manager March 2023 Training of staff HR manager March 2023 In the last part of your Action Plan also include your financial projections to evaluate your changes or to show your costs savings and payback of the investments. The simplified tool for calculation of financial projections is provided in Attachment 2, Table 2. Example 1: Costs saving calculation for applying strategy: Straws only on request SUP item Year SUP item name (i.e., plastic straws) 2022 2023 2024 2025 Consumption (pieces, other unit) 56.000 27.000 15.000 1.500 Price per piece or other unit 0,05 0,05 0,05 0,05 Costs 2.800,00 1.350,00 750,00 75,00 Other costs (disposal, etc.) Total Costs 2.800,00 1.350,00 750,00 75,00 Costs savings per year 1.450,00 600,00 675,00 Costs savings cumulatively 1.450,00 2.050,00 2.725,00 Reduced consumption (quantity) per year -29.000 -12.000 -13.500 Reduced consumption (quantity) cumulatively -29.000 -41.000 -54.500 31 Example 2: Calculation of cost-saving and payback of the investment for applying strategy: Replace plastic water bottles with water dispensers and provision of metal refill bottles for guests Year SUP item 2022 2023 2024 2025 Name of SUP item, currently used (i.e., plastic water bottles) Consumption (pieces, other units) 80.000 82.400 84.872 87.418 Price per piece or other unit 0,30 0,30 0,30 0,30 Costs 24.000,00 24.720,00 25.461,60 26.225,45 Other costs (disposal, etc.) 1.200,00 1.200,00 1.200,00 1.200,00 Total Costs 25.200,00 25.920,00 26.661,60 27.425,45 Name of alternative (i.e., water dispensers) Consumption (pieces, other units) 4.000 4.120 4.244 4.371 Price per piece or other unit 4,50 4,50 4,50 4,50 Costs 18.000,00 18.540,00 19.096,20 19.669,09 Other costs (disposal, etc.) 480,00 580,00 580,00 580,00 Total Costs 18.480,00 19.120,00 19.676,20 20.249,09 Costs savings /costs increase 6.800,00 6.985,40 7.176,36 Total Investments 6.400,00 200,00 200,00 200,00 Investment 1: (i.e., purchasing dispensers) 6.000,00 Investment 2: ( i.e., purchasing metal refill bottles that will be available for guests in the hotel) 400,00 200,00 200,00 200,00 Investment 3: Investment 4: Payback of investment 400,00 7.385,40 14.561,76 Note: This is a simplified calculation. It considers only most of the direct costs. It does not consider depreciation for new equipment, changes in staff costs, loss of revenue because of elimination of SUP items (i.e., plastic water bottles), or potential new revenue gained by purchasing the alternative item (i.e., purchasing refill metal bottles or textile bags to guests). You can improve the financial projections according to your specific situation and ambitions. 32 Attachment 4 HOTEL ASTORIA BLED, SLOVENIA The Hotel Astoria Bled, which is also a training hotel for the College for Tourism, Wellness and Hospitality Bled, is located in the very heart of the historic town of Bled. It is surrounded by a beautiful lake, unspoiled nature and views of the unique Bled Castle. In 2011 they conducted extensive renovations, which have upgraded the hotel to a contemporary ‘eco’ hotel of the 3-star superior category. The rooms have been designed in line with the latest sustainability trends and are equipped with modern amenities. Picture 2: Pictures of the Hotel Astoria Bled Source: Hotel Astoria Bled web sites. Retrieved from: https://www.hotelastoria-bled.com/welcome 33 As part of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism project, the Slovenian Tourist Board also awarded the hotel the Slovenia Green Accommodation environmental certificate in recognition of their sustainable business model. Picture 3: Slovenia Green Accommodation Certificate of the Hotel Astoria Bled But even before this, in 2016 the Hotel Astoria was awarded EU environmental certificate EU Ecolabel. Picture 4: EU Ecolabel Certificate of the Hotel Astoria Bled Source: Hotel Astoria Bled web sites. Retrieved from: https://www.hotelastoria-bled.com/welcome ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM / STRATEGY OF HOTEL ASTORIA BLED Steps: 1. Drafting Basis of an Environmental Management Strategy 2. Staff training 3. Implementing measures in the fields: a. Enenergy efficiency b. Efficient water fittings c. Waste management: ❖ Food service waste reduction plan ❖ Other waste reduction plan ❖ Waste sorting and sending to recycling 4. Information to guests 5. Consumption monitoring 34 WASTE SORTING AND SENDING TO RECYCLING The hotel started with waste sorting of glass, paper and plastic waste items and sending them to recycling. They set up waste disposal bins for sorting the waste in each floor in the hotel, at the reception and in front of the hotel. Picture 5: Bins for waste sorting in front of the Hotel Astoria Source: Hotel Astoria Bled web sites. Retrieved from: https://www.hotelastoria-bled.com/welcome Sorted waste items from the bins in the hotel are disposed into bigger bins in the back yard of the hotel. Picture 6: Bins for sorting waste in the backyard of the Hotel Astoria Source: Hotel Astoria Bled web sites. Retrieved from: https://www.hotelastoria-bled.com/welcome 35 REDUCTION OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEMS IN THE HOTEL The hotel made a decision to remove as much as possible single-use plastic items from the hotel. Accordingly they took actions as follow: ➔ Glass bottles for water, juices etc. instead of plastic bottles in mini bars in the hotel rooms. No plastic bottles in the hotel restaurant and wellness center. ➔ Water dispensers in all floors, at the reception, wellness center and conference center. ➔ Glass carafe and cups in the room. Tap water is drinkable! ➔ No single-use plastic items in the restaurant. ➔ Catering – no single plastic items used. ➔ Straws only on request. ➔ Single pre-portioned food (jam, honey, butter) replaced by open jars / bowls. ➔ No single packing toiletries. Soap, shampoo, shower gel dispenser. ➔ Wooden or carton pencils instead of plastic in the rooms and at the reception desk. ➔ Compostable bags in bins in the hotel (including hotel rooms). ➔ Localy produced souvenirs from Bled Local Selection products. ➔ Increased local ingredients for food and drinks. Picture 7: Examples of replaced single-use plastic in toiletries and in the restaurant Source: Hotel Astoria Bled web sites. Retrieved from: https://www.hotelastoria-bled.com/welcome 36 INFORMATION TO GUESTS Hotel Astoria Bled communicates its green philosophy to their guests. Picture 8: Communication of the green philosophy to the guests of the Hotel Astoria Bled Source: Hotel Astoria Bled web sites. Retrieved from: https://www.hotelastoria-bled.com/welcome MONITORING OF THE RESULTS The Hotel monitors the implementation of its waste management strategy. They measure quantity of waste consumption by the main waste category (plastic, paper, glass, etc.) RESULT: ➔ Reduction of waste per tourist overnight stay in 2019 compared to 2013: 60% or 4.2 kg/tourist overnight. This includes all plastic packaging and other plastic waste. CHALLENGES: ➔ Supply of substitutes for single-plastic items is still underdeveloped or the prices are too high. 37