- On the occasion of World Environment Day and to raise awareness about plastic pollution, the hotels invited staff and guests to participate in waste collection drives
RIU Hotels & Resorts wanted to join the program of the Organization of the United Nations on World Environment Day 2018, #BeatPlasticPollution, by organizing clean-ups of coastal areas and beaches in the majority of the destinations where the company operates. This initiative created by the UN, which RIU participated in with more than 20 waste collection drives, united the efforts of all sectors to carry out the world’s largest clean-up.
According to the UN, nearly a third of the plastic containers we use cannot be recycled, meaning that they end up polluting the environment. The figures are alarming. Worldwide, one million plastic bottles are purchased and five billion disposable plastic bags are used each year. In total, 50% of plastics are used just once. Likewise, every year 13 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans, where they destroy coral reefs and threaten marine fauna. All the plastic that ends up in the oceans in just one year could encircle the Earth four times and remain in this state for a thousand years before completely decomposing.