The document discusses two main topics: 1. The BLUEISLANDS project, which monitors waste generation on Mediterranean islands and promotes sustainable tourism models to address seasonal waste variation over 36 months with 14 partners across 8 countries. 2. Examples of local sustainable resource management practices in the HORECA sector (hotels, restaurants, cafes) in Europe, such as waste reduction programs, environmental labeling, and synergies between industry and local authorities.

1. LINKING SUSTAINABLE
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
WITH TOURISM
DEVELOPMENT
Brussels, June 2, 2017
Francesco Lembo
fl@acrplus.org

2. 1. BLUEISLANDS project
2. Local practices of sustainable resource
management in HO.RE.CA. sector

3. 1. BLUEISLANDS project

5. BLUEISLANDS IN A NUTSHELL
 14 partners from 8 countries in a
systematic effort to properly identify,
address and mitigate the effects
of the seasonal variation of waste
generation on MED islands
 36 months
 2.75 M€, of which 2.34 M€ financed by the European Regional Development Fund

6. BLUEISLANDS IN A NUTSHELL
Challenges:
Structural constrictions of sea locked territories
Fragmentary knowledge of seasonal variation of waste generation
Lack of strategic plans
Objectives:
Establish a model for effectively addressing the seasonal variation of waste
generation
Increase the sustainability of tourism in coastal regions
Enhance planning cooperation and synergies among MED islands

7. BLUEISLANDS WORKPLAN
Monitor marine litter and wastewaters on nine MED islands;
design of tools for anticipating the seasonal waste generation variation
Promote sustainable tourism models through policy making tools
(common guidelines; legal directives; regional strategies)
Examine the financial sustainability of the tested model;
transfer sustainability patterns in the tourism industry

8. PLASTICS SAMPLING PHASE
Cyprus and Mallorca, Jan 2017

9. PLASTICS SAMPLING PHASE
Marine litter collected on McKenzie Beach (Cyprus,
18/01/2017). The macro-plastic items are shown in the
red boxes. The micro-plastic particles are shown in the
green box. The black bar gives the scale.
Zoom showing the difference between micro- and
macro-plastic particles found on McKenzie Beach.
The black bar gives the scale.

10. MONITORING WASTEWATERS
Wastewater treatment plants are often undersized to deal with the increase in wastewater
during the high season tourist peak. The effect is the alteration of ecosystems and of
seawater quality with negative repercussions on tourism itself.
BLUEISLANDS will develop a monitoring system to investigate the quality of coastal seawater
through short-term macroalgae deployments.
The experiments will be carried out in three areas (Cyprus, Croatia and Sicily) before, during
and at the end of the touristic season.

11. MITIGATING IMPACT ON MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
NEXT TO COME BLUEISLANDS outputs:
 Maps indicating the occurrence and the extent of plumes of nutrient and organic
matter of anthropogenic origin
 Warning system of seawater quality in coastal touristic destinations
 Alert for competent authorities highlighting the eventual need for improved
standards for sewage discharge, coastal use
 Indications on the necessity to minimize and mitigate impact of tourism on marine
ecosystems

12. 2. Local practices of sustainable
resource management in
HO.RE.CA. sector

13. DRIVING FORCES FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
 corporate social responsibility
 waste legislation
 differentiated charges for collection of recycling waste and disposal
of waste
 ecolabel criteria
 environmental marketing
Extracted by Study on specific challenges
for a sustainable development
of coastal and maritime
tourism in Europe - EASME, 2016

14. MED3R IN HYERES-LES-PALMIERS
Scenario
 Highly touristic activity in the summer; max waste
production between June and mid-September
 Waste disposal by maritime transportation to the mainland
with remarkably high cost
Actions
 28 pre-diagnosis among restaurateurs on type and rates
of generated waste
 Test of a thermal waste composter, preventing 70% of initial volume of organic waste
 Experimentations with 13 restaurants and establishment of a composting protocol
 Installment of solar waste compactors for non-recyclable waste on the island
http://www.med-3r.org/index.php/en/about/results/294-resultat-iles-en

15. HOTEL RIFIUTI ZERO
The Idea
 Sharing CSR policies within a network of local HORECA
key actors to promote efficacity and cost-effectiveness
 Sinergies with LPAs: restructure the rates of the waste
tax based on the amount and quality of the waste produced
Impacts
 Network of 9 hotels, 3 restaurants and 6 beaches in Sorrento (IT);
 -65% of waste produced; + 95% separate collection of tourist facilities involved in the last
two years
 Better perception by tourists: an average increase of 15% of attendance in two years
http://www.hotelrifiutizero.it/en/the-strategy/

16. RISPETTU - SUSTAINABLE HOTELS IN CORSICA
The Idea
 Environmental labelling project for 10 hotels in Corsica
 Creating a momentum around the issue of seasonal waste overload
in Corsica
Actions
 Substitution of 30 g jam pots from the continent with 1kg jam pots made in Corsica
 Refillable/tap products instead of 100 ml individual bottles of shampoo and shower gel
 Reduction by 10% the rotation of all linen, towels, bath mats and bed sheets
 Working with Électricité de France to minimize KWh (which are produced from fuel in
Corsica) – preliminary study for installation of solar panels
 Use of flow restrictors and economical shower systems
https://www.facebook.com/Rispettu/

17. GOOD TO GO - ZERO WASTE SCOTLAND
Actions
 ‘Good to Go’ pilot scheme - over 1400 containers
given out during the 8 week trial.
 Restaurants offered and promoted doggy bags,
on posters and table top adverts and through
restaurant staff talking to diners
Impacts
 Food waste from diners’ plates fell by an average of 42% per participating restaurant
 92% of diners surveyed who took food home ate it
 Staff from all of the participating restaurants reported excellent feedback from customers
about the pilot
http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/GoodToGo