Less Plastic Guide: Caribe Circular regional project unveils key success stories

Santo Domingo.- The Caribe Circular regional project, supported by the German Cooperation for Development (GIZ) in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Mimarena) and the Ministry of Tourism (Mitur), presented key success cases and experiences using the “Less Plastic Guide” digital tool to reduce and eliminate single-use plastics in the hotel sector.

The event, held at the Pontifical Catholic Mother and Teacher University (PUCMM), brought together government officials, tourism figures, academic authorities, and students. Various critical aspects were discussed, including a detailed analysis of the application process, the results obtained, significant challenges, and the strategies adopted to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

A panel was conducted where representatives from entities involved in implementing these measures in the Dominican Republic shared their experiences, challenges, and possibilities for reducing waste in the tourism industry.

The choice of PUCMM as the venue for the project presentation reflects its commitment to environmental preservation, sustainability promotion, and continuous pursuit of excellence in education. Ina Percival, director of the School of Gastronomy and Tourism, represented PUCMM with a welcoming speech.

Peter Sommer, GIZ coordinator, stated, “Every sixty seconds, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic waste is dumped into our oceans. Without changing this behavior, by 2050, waste will surpass marine life in quantity. It is imperative that we commit to implementing tools like the Less Plastic Guide to raise awareness in the tourism sector and other segments of society.”

He emphasized the need to support both large chains and smaller establishments, restaurants, and tourism-related businesses in reducing plastic consumption and managing waste properly. Approximately 89% of marine waste in the Caribbean comes from land-based sources, and half of this plastic waste is single-use packaging.

Jean Carlos Castillo, Ina Percival, Roberto Henríquez, Alba Russo and Carlos Peguero.

Representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, including Vice Minister of Coastal and Marine Resources José Ramón Reyes, and Vice Minister of International Cooperation of MITUR Carlos Andrés Peguero, represented the ministries and are counterparts for project execution.

The guide relies on a digital tool that facilitates information management on plastic use in hotel facilities. Its objectives include contributing to environmental conservation, preventing the use of such waste, and promoting sustainable development in the tourism sector and other areas of the Dominican Republic.

The guide will provide guidance to facilities aiming to responsibly reduce plastics entering the oceans, enabling the tourism industry to transition effectively to the Circular Economy.

Benefits of implementing this guide include identifying opportunities to reduce spending on unnecessary products, designing sustainable practices tailored to each property’s reality, enhancing the environmental performance of hotel operations, and increasing the number of customers.

The tool has been in use since October 2023, with two stages led by Sustentur and Grupo Sarma Srl, involving various hotel chains.

The Caribe Circular project aims to prevent plastic waste from entering the Caribbean Sea and is conducted by GIZ in coordination with the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Secretariat of Ecology and Environment (SEMA) of the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

It is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany and the European Union (EU).

Caribe Circular is currently conducting pilot projects in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.