Global Tourism Plastics Initiative

The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Global Tourism Plastics Initiative

The Chamber of Diving and Water Sports is proud to be a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
As a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, we endorse the common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. We support the Red Sea Governorates and the South
Sinai Governorates decrees in banning the use of single-use plastics issued respectively in 2019 and 2020, and the Ministry of Environment’s efforts to reduce and eliminate plastic pollution throughout Egypt. 

Tourism is one of the hardest-hit economic sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting millions of jobs, hundreds of businesses, and indirectly our natural resources, with 80 percent of all national and global tourism taking place in coastal areas, plastic from this sector is a large contributor to this pollution. The Chamber of Diving and Water Sports recognizes the unfortunate return of single-use plastics during the COVID-19 pandemic which caused a major setback to all our members’ efforts to reducing plastics from their operation. 
 Through this initiative, we vouch to assist our members in providing solutions to eliminating plastics and helping them build back better for the coming years. We commit to eliminate the plastic items we don’t need; innovate so all plastics we do need are designed to be safely reused, recycled, or composted; and circulate everything we use to keep it in the economy and out of the environment. To our members, we urge them to work towards using either biodegradable single-use items or reusable items given that they are properly sanitized after their use.  


By 2025, the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports commits to:
  • Sending out an official letter to all the diving and water sports members in Egypt encouraging them to join the initiative. The letter will include the recommendations for the tourism sector on continuing to act on plastic and the Chamber’s existing guidelines on plastic reduction. 
  • Providing free plastic pollution awareness courses to the tourism sector and continuing to raise awareness through content creation, videos, cleanups, workshops, and partnerships with other organizations.  
  • Gathering a list of suppliers who provide biodegradable alternatives and share them with the sector.  
  • Communicating the Chamber’s achievements through newsletters to their members in the sector and their social media platforms. 

What is the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative?
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative unites the tourism sector behind a common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. It enables businesses, governments, associations and NGOs to take concerted action, leading by example in the shift towards circularity in the use of plastics. 
The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative has the objective to tackle plastic pollution by promoting a shift towards a circular economy of plastics in tourism operations where plastics never become waste, rather than to eliminate plastics from all tourism operations. 
For more information about the initiative visit: https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/sustainable-tourism/global-tourism-plastics-initiative 
For more information about CDWS’ pledge: Chamber of Diving and Watersports, Egypt | One Planet Network

Much of the plastic used in tourism is made to be thrown away and often can’t be recycled, leading to large amounts of pollution.
Each year, an additional eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans where it is responsible for the deaths of up to one million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals, marine turtles, and countless fish.  


Resource materials for our members: 

We have gathered a list of resource materials to guide you on ways to reduce your operations' plastic footprint. Click and download your guidelines: 
  1. List of local suppliers offering biodegradable and reusable alternatives to single-use plastics by the CDWS. 
  2. Single-use plastic ban guidelines for diving and water sports centers by the CDWS, Arabic, and English.
  3. Single-use plastic ban guidelines for boats by the CDWS, Arabic, and English.
  4. A quick exercise to do with your crew: Track your plastic footprint by the Earth Day Network, Arabic, and English. 
  5.  Recommendations for tackling plastics during Covid-19 recovery in tourism by the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative Arabic and English.
  6. Tourism plastic reduction factsheet and guide by the Sustainable Hotel Alliance
  7. Plastic Reduction in the Tourism Sector Chart by the World Travel and Tourism Council 

Each year, an additional eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans where it is responsible for the deaths of up to one million sea birds, 100,000 sea mammals, marine turtles, and countless fish.