The partnership of SUPMed project has successfully provided recommendations on how to ban/reduce Single Use Plastics through bespoke Action Plans to the pilot sample of tourist establishments in Cyprus, Malta and Greece
During the fall and winter of 2022, the partnership of the project titled “Reducing the Consumption and Disposal of Single-use Plastics in the Tourism Industry in Cyprus, Greece and Malta”, also known as “SUPMed” worked closely with the pilot sample of tourist establishments to develop bespoke action plans with recommendations on how the reduce and/or ban Single Use Plastics (SUPs).
From October to November 2021, the ten tourist establishments from Cyprus, Greece and Malta, part of the pilot sample of the project, worked closely with the partners of the project to enter real life data on SUPs being consumed on the bespoke, free web-based decision-support tool (DST) that has also been developed as part of this project. The DST presents viable and available alternatives to the most commonly used SUPs, taking into consideration cost analysis and environmental impacts of each alternative across its life-cycle. For successfully implementing the pilot period, the pilot sample has been trained by the partners on how to use the DST. In addition, during December 2021, the pilot sample had the chance to propose alternations and improvements for the DST, to ensure that the bespoke tool will ultimately assist tourist establishments to reduce and ban SUPs based on the provisions of EU Directive 2019/904 on plastics and national legislation.
Since the finalisation of the pilot period, the partners used the data available through the DST for each pilot to develop bespoke action plans. The bespoke action plans were developed aiming to present potential scenarios on how each tourist establishment can effectively replace and/or reduce SUPs and then, based on the suggested scenarios and recommend solutions based on what is feasible to be done, taking into considerations all relevant parameters, including costs and environmental impacts. Each bespoke action plan was then presented to each tourist establishment in May 2022 during on-site and online trainings. The trainings were delivered by the partners in charge: Aspon Consulting (CY), Anelixis Development Consultants S.A. (GR) and AIS Environment (MT). During the trainings, the partners and the tourist establishments agreed on the recommended actions that will be applied during the summer period of 2022.
About the project:
The SUPMed project runs until June 2023 with a total budget of €1,279,405.00. The six project partners participating in the project are Aspon Consulting Ltd as the Lead Partner (CY), Heraklion Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GR), Anelixis Development Consultants S.A. (GR), Cellock Ltd (CY), AIS Environment (MT) and the Cyprus Hotel Association (CY).
The project consortium aims to reduce the consumption, disposal and impacts of SUP in the tourism sector in these three regions, in line with EU Directive 2019/904 on the reduction of the impacts of plastic products. Through this project, the partners will support samples of coastal tourist establishments in Cyprus, Malta and Greece (Crete) via pilots to move to sustainable resource-efficient business models. The establishments will identify and replace commonly-used SUP with environmentally friendlier, readily available and affordable alternatives. The pilot samples will be supported in phasing out and replacing SUP via a bespoke free web-based decision-support tool (DST) that will be developed. The DST will present viable and available alternatives to the most commonly used SUP, taking into consideration the cost and environmental impacts of each alternative across its life-cycle.
Following the completion of the pilot in each of the three regions, best practice guides will be developed that will present the findings of the pilots, the impacts of plastic waste on human health and the environment, how to reduce SUP in the tourism and other sectors and what envirionmentally friendlier and affordable alternatives are available. These guides will be disseminated to SMEs, NGOs, tourist establishments and other relevant stakeholders in the three regions and across Europe, as an additional support tool in replacing SUPs.
The 10 tourist establishments of the pilot sample of the project per country are:
- Cyprus:
- GrandResort
- Atlantica Mare Village Ayia Napa
- Radisson Blue Hotel
- The Royal Apollonia
- Greece – Crete:
- Elounda Palm Hotel & Suites
- Infinity Blue Boutique Hotel & Spa
- Paralos Lifestyle Beach
- Malta:
- Hilton Malta
- 1926 Hotel & Spa
- Mellieha Holiday Centre
The 1st conference event of the project in Malta will be held on July 7, 2022 at Salini Resort, Salina Bay, St Paul’s Bay, and online via Zoom. For more information and registration please fill in the Online Registration Form or contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The project “Reducing the Consumption and Disposal of Single-use Plastics in the Tourism Industry in Cyprus, Greece and Malta” is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation.
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The SUPMed project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants and Norway Grants Fund for Regional Cooperation