As the Caribbean grapples with mounting waste management and environmental challenges, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is advancing sustainable tourism practices by eliminating single-use plastics across its hotels and turning waste into economic opportunities.

The hotel’s efforts, driven through its Wave of Change programme established in 2017, took the spotlight at its learning exchange in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, where tourism stakeholders from Jamaica, Mexico, Aruba and the Dominican Republic explored ways to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint and promote more responsible tourism practices.

Jareth Vermeulen, destination stewardship representative for Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Jamaica and Aruba, emphasised that responsibility for sustainable tourism requires collective action across the industry and the communities in which they operate.

“We don’t want to be the only one doing it. We don’t want to be the leader either. We want to be the one that is influencing, getting others to do it and creating this panel of consecutive and collaborative change,” he said.

Vermeulen said the company’s sustainability efforts are driven through its Wave of Change programme which was established to address environmental challenges, particularly those affecting the oceans and coastal ecosystems on which its beachfront resorts depend.

According to Vermeulen, the urgency of these initiatives is underscored by the growing environmental challenges facing destinations, including global warming, ocean degradation and the impact of unsustainable practices on local communities.

“We cannot only live by doing business as we did. Global warming is something real. The oceans are degraded. The communities are suffering,” Vermeulen said. “Tourism companies and the tourism industry in any destination are very powerful tools, and we can use positive tourism, if we do it positively.”

Through its circular economy roadmap, Iberostar has eliminated 98 per cent of the waste sent to landfills through a range of initiatives.

These include eliminating single-use plastics across its hotels since 2020 and establishing dedicated 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) teams. The 3R teams separate, weigh and analyse hotel waste to determine what can be reused or recycled.

The group also uses the Winnow machine to individually log and track food waste, allowing hotels to identify what is being discarded and adjust their menus accordingly to reduce waste and save money.

At its Bávaro Complex in Punta Cana, recyclable materials such as plastic bottles, other plastics and cardboard are sold to recycling centres and waste management companies. The proceeds are reinvested in employee engagement initiatives and improvements to staff areas.

Plastic bottles are also replaced with glass containers, and several water refill stations are installed across its properties.

The hotel group also converts organic food waste and garden trimmings into compost. Some of the hotel’s waste is also processed into livestock feed and sold to pig farmers, with the proceeds also redirected to staff members.

Georgia Scarlett, environmental manager at the Sandals Foundation, said the exchange has broadened her understanding of how recyclable materials could be transformed into economic opportunities, beyond the composting and recycling initiatives already being undertaken across the Caribbean.

“Today we learned the extent of trash to treasure and while we have done composting before with farmers here in Jamaica, in Grenada, in St Lucia, and in Turks and Caicos, there are more things that can become treasure,” she said.

She added that greater investment in recycling and resource recovery could help Caribbean countries reduce their waste management challenges while creating additional economic opportunities.

Meanwhile, Mitzie Smart, social responsibility manager in the Palladium Cares Department at Grand Palladium Resorts & Spa, said the exchange provided an excellent opportunity to share experiences and explore best practices in areas such as eliminating single-use plastics, recycling, waste management, the circular economy and nature-based initiatives.

“My hope is to return with practical ideas and best practices that we can adapt and implement at Grand Palladium, particularly in strengthening our recycling programme, reducing single-use plastics and improving waste management,” she said.

Smart noted that Palladium Hotel Group’s corporate social responsibility department, Palladium Cares, was established three years ago and represents the group’s commitment to advancing social responsibility and sustainability.

Jareth Vermeulen, destination stewardship representative for Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Jamaica and Aruba, presents the group’s Wave of Change focus areas to tourism stakeholders and journalists during the first day of the hotels’ learning exchange in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Yuneisy Polo, assistant sustainability manager and food waste management coordinator at Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in the Dominican Republic, demonstrates the Winnow machine at the Iberostar Bávaro Complex in Punta Cana. The technology tracks food waste, helping the hotel group identify discarded food, adjust menus and reduce waste.

An employee at the Iberostar Bávaro Complex in Punta Cana operates a compact cardboard baler as part of the resort’s recycling efforts.