Discover how one resort is leading the fight against plastic pollution in the Maldives and setting new standards for sustainability.
In 2016 alone, Maldives had imported almost 40 million plastic bags…
SO NO MORE PLASTIC IN MALDIVES PLEASE
We’ve all seen these horrendous images of Alison on her surfboard as she navigates plastic waste that washed up around the islands in the Maldives. Floating among plastic bottles, bags and other polluting rubbish on the infamous Thilafushi – also gracefully called the Rubbish Island
Twitter is on fire about Plastic Plague on our Planet. FOCUS on Maldives
# MaldivesPlastic
# BeatPlasticPollution
# Maldives Environment
Tweet #NoMorePlasticInMaldivesPlease
What Trash Washed Up on Remote Island 300 mi From Maldives Tell Us About Our Plastic Habit
— One Green Planet (@OneGreenPlanet)
Sad. Very sad.
And what to say about this whale that died with 80 bags of plastic bags in her stomach in Thailand ?
I am afraid that we’re about to witness the same in Maldives very soon.
A dead whale shark stranded on a resort beach.
….Nightmarish scenario ? Yes.
…Impossible. NO.
If you follow the Maldives on social medias ( beyond the usual Dreamy news, influencers / and instagrammers in bikinis ), you surely saw turtles covered of plastic, desert island with shores disfigured by plastic bottles and other man made items, seas ornated by patches of floating plastic stuffs…and so on…ited Nations in June 2017 reported that Maldives has a high level of plastic bag consumption and plastic pollution.
Import data show that in 2016 alone, the country had imported almost 40 million plastic bags.
The situation is now out of control.
With more than 1.3 million tourist arrivals in 2017, it’s not getting better.
Multiply this amount by an average of 2 plastic bags per person ( and I am probably underestimating the number ), packaging like empty bottles, toothpastes and other nice plastic items generously let by tourists, we reach an insane total amount of rubbish.
Avoid. Intercept. Redesign. Together we can end marine plastic pollution. #ParleyAIR P: Parley Remote Island Interception in the Maldives — Parley (@parleyxxx)
Don’t miss
A very essential list of the DO’S and DONT’S in Maldives
I usually have great feedback and shares. But this time, it seemed that nobody really cared.
SO. 2 questions :
- Do people REALLY Care ?
- Do Resorts care ? and if they do, do they REALLY inform well their guests ?…It’s a sensitive subject.
Some resorts really CARE
Clever recycling system at Soneva Fushi
Well, here comes the good news.
And hopefully it will make its way through. This is why I wish to pass on the information here.
Well, it’s not as Dreamy as usual but hey….it’s time to wake up !
This situation CANNOT continue.
People from Europe, US, Middle East, China who come to the Maldives.
Have a look at this little video made by Six Senses Laamu featuring Marteyne Van Well, Six Senses Laamu Resort Manager since 2011, Maldives Lover and Skilled Diver.
She not only hears about plastic pollution, she sees it.
In this video posted on Six Senses Laamu medias she calls some Maldives Resorts :
Four Seasons Maldives, Gili Lankanfushi ( another major actor in sustainability ) and COMO Hotels to enter a Challenge refusing all single-use plastic bags.
Thank you @Six_Senses_ for tagging us for this #WorldEnvironmentDay challenge. We are committed to refusing all single-use plastic bags. Now we challenge @FSMaldives @GiliLankanfushi @COMOHotels You have 24 hours to tell us how you #BeatPlasticPollution. Tag, you’re it!
— Six Senses Laamu (@SixSensesLaamu)
Cleaning beaches and Educating future maldivian adults at Six Senses Laamu
Dreaming of Maldives channel : Subscribe to our Channel for more videos !
[08 June 2018 ] Update about the challenge more 24 Hours after Marteyne’s call.
So far, the challenge to refuse all single-use plastic bags has been accepted only by Gili Lankanfushi.
More about Environment in Maldives Serious Actors and concrete Initiatives on location
- – UNITED NATIONS – The Ocean Conference
- – OLIVE RIDLEY PROJECT – FIGHTING TO SAVE TURTLES FROM GHOST NESTS & EDUCATE LOCAL POPULATION FOR YEARS
- – PARLEY OCEAN SCHOOL – PARLEY OCEAN SCHOOL IN MALDIVES
- – SAVE MALDIVES A MALDIVIAN environmental movement
- – NO PLASTIC MALDIVES – A MALDIVIAN movement militating against Plastic in Maldives
- – BLUE SOCIETY – ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATION PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE MALDIVES SINCE 1989–
- – PROJECT DAMAGE CONTROL – SOCIAL ACTION PROJECT TO CLEAN UP THE SWIMMING AREAS IN MALE
Known Maldives Resorts actively (beyond the banning of drinking plastic-bottles) engaged in Maldives Environment for several years :
Soneva Fushi Sustainability
The resort follows the three R principles: Reduce – Reuse – Recycle.
Soneva Fushi ( / all Soneva Resorts in the world ) is a Pioneer and Leader in Waste management. It is the Company Philosophy.
Soneva Fushi concrete and global Actions against waste : – Recycling Waste Facility
– Reverse-osmosis desalination – The Resort recycles her own plastic and collects the one from neighboring local islands
– Has banned plastic drinking bottles for many years
– uses recyclable packaging only ( room amenities, shopping bags…)
– Solar Energy.
– A composting site takes food waste from the kitchen and restaurants composts it with garden waste. The composting soil generated from this activity is reused in the island landscape and gardening, and much more…
Gili Lankanfushi Maldives Sustainability
The resort has INHERITED and kept the Green Philosophy from its prior owner Soneva
Gili Lankanfushi concrete and global Actions against waste and environment:
– Recycling Waste Facility
– Reverse-osmosis desalination
– The Resort recycles her own plastic and waste
– Purchased the Maldives first and only Mechanical Biological Composter
– Uses recyclable packaging only ( room amenities, shopping bags…)
– Solar energy + ( first in Maldives) Floating Solar Panels
– Guests are given re-usable glass water bottles rather than disposable plastic bottles.
– A recycling corner where waste is separated into paper, plastic, metal, glass, organic waste, and toxic waste. A compactor reduces the space required to store the waste before it is sent for recycling and proper handling.
– A composting site takes food waste from the kitchen and restaurants composts it with garden waste. The composting soil generated from this activity is reused in the island landscape and gardening.
-Linen tote Bags for guests to carry their waste back home
-Waste Center at Gili Lankanfushi, Soneva Fushi and Six Senses Laamu
Six Senses Laamu Sustainability
The resort has kept the Green Philosophy from Soneva Brand ( behind Six Senses Concept)
Six Senses Laamu concrete and global Actions against waste and environment :
– Heavily engaged in Seas and reef Protection
– Works in partnership with The Reef-World Foundation, UN Environment’s Partner
– Reverse-osmosis desalination
– Recycling Waste Facility
– The Resort recycles her own plastic and waste
– uses recyclable packaging only ( room amenities, shopping bags…)
– Solar energy
– Zero Carbon restaurant
– Suppliers are asked to reduce packaging when delivering supplies.
– Printing paper is eco-labelled or recycled and the reverse side of printed paper is used for notes.
– Guests are given re-usable glass water bottles rather than disposable plastic bottles.
– A recycling corner where waste is separated into paper, plastic, metal, glass, organic waste, and toxic waste. A compactor reduces the space required to store the waste before it is sent for recycling and proper handling.
– A composting site takes food waste from the kitchen and restaurants composts it with garden waste. The composting soil generated from this activity is reused in the island landscape and gardening.
and much more…
– Right now about Plastic NOT Fantastic on Twitter –
From getting stuck in nets to eating plastic that they think is food, creatures worldwide are dying from material we made. #noplasticmaldives
— No Plastic Maldives (@NoPlasticMDV)
Richard Aspinall’s photo: Maldives, turtle snared in plastic/net. #SDG14 #SaveOurOceans and marine life. — Teena Brown Pulu (@TeenaBrownPulu)
Plastic Recycling workspace opened on the occasion of #EnvironmentDay Parley Maldives initiates this to educate school children & others. As this years environment day theme stands ‘Beat plastic pollution’ this recycling lab will provide different tools for recycling
— Layal Manik (@alayalm)
The first impression on the foreigners visiting #Maldives!@MaclMedia must acknowledge that there is a problem of litter & rubbish entering the waterway & contaminating the jetty area of @VelanaAirport. This has to stop & a clean-up solution have to be implemented! @ecocare_mv — Siku (@SikuKamaldeen)
Maldives blasted for destroying the environment –
— Maldives Independent (@IndependentMV)
From Blue to Grey.
Plastic Pollution in Maldives. A pledge for NO MORE PLASTIC
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2 comments
Behind the poscard. Not better than other paradise places.
But Maldives have more risks. It’s popular
Thank you !