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The increased awareness of our global environmental crisis leads the world to realize the importance of sustainability and the role that each person plays in the protection of our environment. Today I am introducing you “Refill Not Landfill” campaign developed in Asia. I had the pleasure to meet with Matteo, the Sustainability Coordinator at Easia Travel Cambodia during World Travel Market in London in November 2019.

Refill Not Landfill - Refill Elba - sustainability

Refill Not Landfill Project, a project established and supported by a network of members of Siem Reap’s hospitality and tourism industry. This project aims to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic water bottles by the tourism industry and to revolutionize the way travellers consume water in Cambodia. To support this sustainable project, Easia Travel now offers its partners the option of choosing for 600ml. Refillable steel bottles instead of single-use plastic ones, which can be refilled by travellers with clean drinking water at one of the many refill stations provided throughout Cambodia. Travellers will be able to refill their reusable bottles at refill stations in restaurants, bars, hotels, and on various locations throughout their trip. In addition to that, a mobile refill station set up in their vehicle will guarantee that travellers always have access to clean drinking water, even when on the move.

Refill Not Landfill Project - sustainable tourism

Matteo also updated me about his work in Italy where is spreading the project from Isola D’Elba. Refill Elba started in Italy in 2019 to encourage collaboration with entrepreneurs in the tourism sector, public and private bodies and citizens attentive to the conservation of Elba’s environmental heritage, to develop joint and sustainable strategies to reduce the consumption of plastic bottles and materials disposable.

Refill Elba aims to create a community of responsible Elbans (residents of Isola D’Elba), travellers and entrepreneurs who act against the problem of excessive use of plastic in daily life, promoting a lifestyle and responsible tourism, revolutionizing the way water drinking water is distributed and consumed by tourists and the local population on the Island of Elba.

By encouraging the use of reusable bottles and materials, creating a network of free or paid drinking water stations and facilitating their location within the destination through an interactive map connected to the QR code and NFC tag, the project wants to make an important contribution to significantly reduce consumption and plastic distribution.

Refill Not Landfill and Refill Elba - map example

After the first season we are satisfied that we have located more than 50 public and private water points, – explain the promoters – receiving excellent feedback from local citizens, tourists and counting on the support of 11 local partners and formalizing the partnership with Legambiente Turismo. Our future vision is to extend ourselves by first including the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, then expanding at regional and subsequently national level, developing Refill-Now.com and mapping all public and private water stations to connect them to the Refill Map.

“Our vision is to innovate the way water is distributed and consumed at the destination level – declares Matteo Galeazzi, founder of the project – reducing the consumption of plastic bottles and promoting a lifestyle and responsible tourism. By carrying out small actions, such as using a reusable bottle and refilling it in the various points of water, we can have a direct and positive impact on the environment, respecting and preserving the sea and the nature that surrounds us for future generations. ”

As a tourism operator myself, I am considering to join the Refill Now, would you like to know more? Keep in touch!

Sara

Are you interested to know more?
Ask  #STouW by Sara Vitali about: 

#sustainabletourism consultancy, 
#socialmedia strategies for tourism sector & linked sustainable, responsible, green or eco businesses; 
#sustainabledevelopment through tourism. 
http://sustainabletourismworld.com/sara-vitali-stw-founder/