Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, and the tourism sector plays a crucial role in shaping the solution. A significant share of plastics used in tourism are designed for single use and often cannot be recycled—leading to pollution that harms ecosystems, communities, and destinations.
Around the world, tourism stakeholders are taking collective action to eliminate unnecessary plastics and transition toward circularity. Recognising that no single organisation can address the issue alone, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative brings together businesses, destinations, associations, and NGOs to adopt system-wide changes across the value chain.
RTSOI is proud to be a signatory to this global initiative and actively works with its members to support and amplify the movement toward a plastic-free future for tourism.
Launched in 2020 and led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative unites the tourism sector behind a shared vision to tackle the root causes of plastic pollution.
The initiative aligns with the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and contributes to key Sustainable Development Goals (including SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 - Climate Action, SDG 14 - Life Below Water and SDG 15 - Life on Land). It ensures transparency through common definitions, clear ambition levels, and annual public reporting.