For most of us, the consumption of single-use plastics is all about convenience. Our to-go coffees come with plastic lids and stirrers. Conference-room tables are pre-set with bottled water at every seat. Fast food drinks come with plastic straws.
This isn’t just a matter of personal choice, however. Entire industries are involved.
As industries go, none are quite so keen on single-use plastics than the hospitality industry. This only makes sense: few people are more set on comfort and convenience than those who are on vacation, and no one is more attuned to this dynamic than the industry that serves them.
Corporate Strategies
Although there is still much work to be done, it is heartening to see that there are some people who are willing to effect change. Many of them are reducing or eliminating single-use plastics in the hospitality industry.
Many airlines have begun recycling plastic cups and straws, hotels have been less aggressive at replacing half-full soap, shampoo, and conditioner bottles, and, to a lesser extent, manufacturers of food and beverages have slowly been transitioning away from the material. Nevertheless, significant progress is yet to be made, and much of the effort comes down to us changing our behavior as consumers (Medium).
Personal Commitments
While many of us have no say in whether or not massive corporations within the hospitality industry take environmental responsibility, individual consumers can help effect change through their personal decisions. First, they can give their business to brands with a proven track record in environmental responsibility. Second, in situations in which that proves impossible, we can choose not to take part in the consumption of single-use plastics made available to us.
Working Together
Realistically, true change will not come until industries and individuals work together on this. While it’s good to see the hospitality industry cutting back on single-use plastics, they have no bearing on the choices of the individuals who travel with them. Likewise, merely individual responses are not enough.
In the end, we must all work together to reduce plastic pollution.
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