Destination Zero Waste Bali
Bali is one of the world’s most visited island destinations, with 16.4 million tourists visiting in 2024, the equivalent of four times the local population. But with tourists also producing 3.5 times more plastic waste than the local residents, the waste management system is struggling to keep up, and the island faces a plastic waste crisis. Effective solutions require a holistic approach that focuses on preventing waste from being generated, promoting sustainable practices in hospitality, and shifting the tourism sector away from single-use plastics and towards circular economy principles and reducing, reusing and refilling.
The project equips local public and private stakeholders with the skills to become Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) trainers. It also investigates systemic gaps and tests what conditions are needed for a transition towards a circular value chain that benefits local communities and tourists.
The first stage of the project trained trainers at a Global Tourism Plastic Initiative (GTPI) event in Bali led by UNEP and TUI Care Foundation. The three-day workshop was delivered to 36 representatives from hotels, tour operators, national and local authorities, civil society, and recycling businesses.
The GTPI framework, field observations, and research contribute to the assessment of single-use plastic consumption in Bali’s hotels. This helps to identify major waste sources and highlight key areas with the greatest potential for impactful intervention, enabling targeted strategies to reduce plastic waste effectively.
Five participating hotels carry out a plastic assessment of their hotels using the GTPI tool and the project ensures social impact throughout local community engagement.
The project validates key plastic waste challenges in hospitality and tests at least two solutions to address them. The pilot assesses the operational feasibility, customer desirability and financial viability of each intervention in five hotels to determine its potential for scaling.
Project Partner
Enviu is a not-for-profit venture building studio committed to creating positive environmental and social impact. Since 2004, they have launched over 30 ventures that have made a significant difference to communities and ecosystems worldwide. Through developing markets, ecosystems, and innovative solutions, Enviu has created awareness, shared actionable knowledge, and influenced both governments and corporations.
