More than 89 establishments in San Javier will participate this summer in the fourth edition of the #GreenFlagsMovement, an initiative launched by Ecovidrio, the non-profit organisation in charge of managing the recycling of glass packaging waste in Spain. A campaign that seeks to reward the commitment of municipalities and the hotel and catering industry to the circular economy and glass recycling during the summer season.
Thus, San Javier will try to revalidate in the region the Green Flag achieved in the last edition.
The Green Flag Movement contemplates actions to respond to the significant increase in the generation of glass packaging waste in coastal areas caused by summer tourism. In summer, a third of the glass containers that are put into circulation are consumed and nearly 50% of the single-use glass packaging waste that is put on the market is generated by the hospitality sector, so their involvement is key to generate a real transition towards a more circular and decarbonised model.
In this new edition of the #GreenFlagsMovement, Ecovidrio will carry out the 2nd edition of the Barometer on the sustainability of the hospitality sector on our coasts, with the aim of analysing the presence of measures in favour of sustainability in the HORECA sector through four levers: efficient waste management, energy efficiency, responsible consumption and water consumption.
According to the first edition of this barometer, in which 10,000 hotel and catering establishments participated, 7 out of 10 establishments in coastal areas already apply sustainability measures in the management of their businesses. Of the regions analysed, the Valencia Region, with 7.08 out of 10, and Catalonia, with 7.06 out of 10, were at the top of the average, followed by the Region of Murcia (6.9), the Balearic Islands (6.6) and Andalusia (6.3).
Green Flags: a consolidated movement in favour of coastal sustainability
With this fourth edition, Green Flags has become one of the key initiatives of Ecovidrio’s alliance with the hotel and catering industry. In fact, at a national level, this campaign will be carried out this year in more than 140 coastal municipalities in five different autonomous communities, and has the participation of more than 15,000 hospitality establishments. In total, this year, nine Green Flags will be awarded throughout the country.
Chiclana and Fuengirola (Andalusia), Lloret de Mar and Torroella de Montgrí – l’Estartit (Catalonia), Orihuela and Benidorm (Comunitat Valenciana), Sant Antoni de Portmany (Illes Balears) and San Javier (Region of Murcia) were the eight municipalities recognised in the previous edition for their activism in favour of the circular economy and green recovery last year and will compete in this new edition to revalidate the recognition.