Cyprus beaches turning green - 1st July 2022

Holidaymakers in Cyprus are being encouraged to go plastic free as part of a programme to free the country's beaches of single use plastics.

With the help of a leading travel agency, TUI, the scheme's been put in place at two seaside resorts. Veronika Blach works for the TUI Care Foundation.

Veronika Blach: "It's important that we all work together, especially the tourism sector. There's so much to be done. Think of all the businesses, the bars, restaurants, hotels, and how much plastic is consumed there. There's so many reductions but there's still so much plastic, so we can do so much more together."

The scheme's seen coastal hoteliers and bar and restaurant owners working together. It's been a learning journey for them, as Chris Karas, restaurant proprietor points out.

Chris Karas: "At the beginning, it was difficult to think that we would not have single-use plastics such as water bottles, etc. But, slowly slowly, with the help of the initiative, and with the will of our staff and us as managers, I think we quickly realised that it isn't actually that hard. But we're only at the beginning of the goal we're trying to achieve – to save the environment."

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, under 10 percent of 460 million tonnes of plastic worldwide was recycled in 2019. So in Cyprus, rather than selling water in single use plastic bottles, filling stations have been installed which are available for use with reusable bottles, at no fee.

Panagiota Koutsofta, project manager of the scheme, is thrilled with the massive amount of waste saved to date. She has high hopes for the future.

Panagiota Koutsofta: "We have succeeded since the beginning of the project to reduce the use of single-use plastics – adding up to the weight of 23 aircrafts Boeing 737. Therefore, our goal is to reduce the use of more plastics – why not maybe adding up to the equivalent weight of thousands of aircrafts, why not!"

Tourists are being persuaded to play their part in the big clean-up, helping to pick up tiny pieces of plastic and cigarette ends that lie in the sand.

Data and statistics about exactly what's discovered over a 100m2 area is then sent off to the European Environment Agency, to help advance environmental policies.