Repair & ReuseLjubljanaBled STICT: circular textile challenge with international expertsTackling tourism's textile footprint Under the EU STICT (Sustainable Textiles In Circular Tourism) project, EBM partnered with the municipality of Bled and international sustainability experts to explore solutions for the environmental and economic impacts of textiles in a tourism-heavy destination. The initiative investigates sustainable sourcing, collection, and reuse of textiles across hotels, venues, and local businesses in the Bled area. What the project explores - Environmental footprint of hotel linen and event textiles - Collection and redistribution systems for reusable or recyclable textiles - Policy levers municipalities can use to shift procurement How to engage - Follow EBM for workshops and findings as the STICT project publishes results - If you manage a venue near Bled, ask EBM about participation in the textile audit pilot Why it matters Tourism destinations generate disproportionate textile waste. Bled's participation in STICT means findings apply directly to one of Slovenia's most visited areas: making lessons replicable for every European resort town. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - Project: STICT - Sustainable Textiles In Circular Tourism - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editiontextilescirculartourismsustainability
CommunityLjubljanaLjubljana hotel sector: reuse in hospitality and eventsFrom rooms to banquets: waste prevention in the tourism economy Ekologi brez meja worked with the Ljubljana Tourism Board and city waste operator VOKA SNAGA over two years to bring waste prevention and reuse into the hotel and events sector. The partnership surfaces what the ZWE report calls a systemic gap: hospitality generates high volumes of single-use waste but rarely has a reuse infrastructure to switch to. What the collaboration covers - Shared reusable tableware systems for hotel events and catering - Guidance for venues on reducing single-use room amenities - Pilot reuse programmes for public and private events in Ljubljana How to get involved - If you organise or attend events in Ljubljana, ask venues whether they offer reusable alternatives - Hotel guests can ask about refillable amenity dispensers instead of single-use toiletries - Follow VOKA SNAGA for city-level waste prevention updates Why it matters Ljubljana hosts millions of visitors per year. Embedding reuse in the hospitality sector shifts waste prevention from individual choice to city-scale default. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - City waste operator: VOKA SNAGA - Tourism board: Visit Ljubljana - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editionhotelstourismreuseevents
CommunitySkiathosSkiathos Zero Waste candidate: plastic prevention and the ERIC projectA tourist island taking on plastic: with EU support Skiathos, one of the Sporades islands and a major summer tourist destination, is a Zero Waste candidate municipality working with ECOREC on a Plastic Prevention Plan under the EU ERIC (Elevating Reuse In Cities) project. The plan, in development as of 2024: addresses the particular waste challenge of an island that receives hundreds of thousands of tourists each summer, many of them arriving on dayboats, generating concentrated seasonal waste. What the Skiathos programme covers - Plastic Prevention Plan being developed with ECOREC and the ERIC project framework - Collaboration with the municipality on waste stream analysis and reduction targets - The Zero Waste Rota programme trains dayboat operators to educate tourists on waste disposal at sea and on remote beaches not accessible by road Why it matters Greek tourist islands generate disproportionate waste relative to their permanent populations. A working plastic prevention plan in Skiathos would give every other Aegean tourist island a concrete template: and the ERIC project means European funding and methodology back the effort. How to engage - If you visit Skiathos, follow guidance on dayboat operators' waste practices and separate waste correctly at island facilities - Follow ECOREC for the Plastic Prevention Plan's public consultation stages - Ask your own municipality's environmental office whether ERIC project participation is available Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - National coordinator: ECOREC – Ecological Recycling Society - ERIC project: Elevating Reuse In Cities - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editionplasticpreventionplantourismeric
CommunitySkiathosCoastal zero waste tourism: how dayboats can protect remote beachesSkiathos shows that tourist operators can lead on waste The Zero Waste Rota programme, developed by ECOREC and the Municipality of Skiathos, trains dayboat operators to actively educate tourists about proper waste disposal: including at remote beaches that are inaccessible by road and therefore lack collection infrastructure. The programme measurably increased recycling rates on the island and fostered a culture of environmental responsibility among visitors. What the programme involves - Dayboat operators receive training on waste separation and guest communication - Tourists are briefed on board before reaching remote beaches about what to do with packaging and recyclables - Operators bring separated waste back to port for collection: protecting beaches that cannot be serviced by standard vehicles - The approach is scalable to any island with a dayboat economy Why it matters Greece's Aegean islands face intense seasonal waste from marine tourism. Regulation alone cannot reach a boat at sea or a path-only beach. The Skiathos model shows that education and operator buy-in can do what infrastructure cannot, and it is directly replicable on any island with a similar tourist boat economy. How to replicate it - If you operate or charter boats in the Aegean, contact ECOREC about Zero Waste Rota training - If you visit Greek islands by dayboat, ask whether the operator follows Zero Waste Rota practices: and request it if not - Municipal waste officers on other islands can use the Skiathos programme as a template for ERIC or national funding bids Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - National coordinator: ECOREC – Ecological Recycling Society - Zero Waste Rota: Municipality of Skiathos + ECOREC - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editioncoastaltourismrecyclingboatseducation
Repair & ReuseMexico CityLess Plastic Guide: Oaxaca coastal hotels and fisheriesCut single-use plastic where tourism meets the Pacific On Oaxaca's Pacific coast, roughly two tonnes of plastic enter the sea daily where waste infrastructure is thin. GIZ (on behalf of the German Environment Ministry) works with municipalities, hotels, and fisheries through the Less Plastic Guide, practical alternatives to disposable products. Participating hotels cut plastic consumption by about one third; lessons feed Mexico's national circular-economy strategy. What you can do - Hoteliers and restaurants on the Oaxaca coast: request the Less Plastic Guide and audit single-use items room by room - Travellers: favour accommodations that publish plastic-reduction steps - Other coastal towns: replicate the tourism–fishery workshop model with your regional environment ministry How it works The guide lists swap-in products and awareness steps; PROCEP pilots improved separation and collection with local governments before plastic reaches rivers. Why it matters Tourism economies can shrink marine litter at the source, not only after beach clean-ups. Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. Source: GIZ Story Portal · Story: For clean coasts and healthy oceans · Project: Protecting Mexico's coastal regions.plasticOaxacatourismfisheriescircular-economy
CommunityTilosTilos: Greece's first certified Zero Waste islandA small Aegean island that changed the national conversation Tilos, a tiny island of around 800 permanent residents in the South Aegean, became Greece's first Zero Waste certified municipality through the Just Go Zero programme supported by ECOREC and funded by the South Aegean Region. By September 2024 the initiative had diverted approximately 14,600 kg of recyclables from landfill, significantly improving local environmental conditions and building a culture of source separation among residents, businesses, and visitors. What makes Tilos a model - Source separation extended to restaurants, hotels, and catering services - Community participation built through education and close municipal coordination - South Aegean Region funding provided the infrastructure budget, making the model replicable for neighbouring small islands - Certification achieved despite the absence of a local organic waste processing facility: demonstrating that progress is possible even where infrastructure gaps remain Why it matters beyond Tilos Tilos is the proof point the Greek zero waste movement has needed. The island's certification received national media coverage and directly influenced the South Aegean Region's decision to fund continuation: increasing the likelihood that neighbouring islands will follow. In a country planning up to six waste-to-energy plants by 2030, Tilos shows an alternative path that works. How to engage - Visit Tilos and participate in its waste separation culture: tourism revenue supports the programme - Follow ECOREC for the expansion of Just Go Zero to additional Greek islands - Share Tilos's results with local councillors on other Aegean islands as advocacy for similar programmes Source & repost Shared here so you can get inspired or find action already happening near you. Solarpunker does not own or organise it. - National coordinator: ECOREC – Ecological Recycling Society - Just Go Zero programme: South Aegean Region / ECOREC / Zero Waste Europe - Report chapter: ZWE State of Zero Waste Municipalities, 5th editioncertifiedislandrecyclingcirculartourism
