Ibiza is one of the most popular party and tourist destinations in the world. Every year, millions of people journey out to this sunny part of Spain for some summer fun. It’s fantastic for the local economy, but terrible for the environment.
Did you know that Ibiza generated 14% more waste-per-person than any other place in Europe last year? There’s a serious problem forming, and it leads to tonnes of plastic waste ending up on beaches, in the sea, and causing issues for the local wildlife.
Clearly, something needs to be done. A huge percentage of this waste stems from all of the clubs and party destinations in Ibiza. Thankfully, there are some new plastic recycling and eco-friendly initiatives that look to tackle this sizeable problem.
Plastic-free performances
A lot of performing artists in Ibiza are getting on-board with the plastic-free trend. This was started by Blond:ish, a performer who also preaches about sustainability while touring. The aim is for artists to no longer use plastic packaging in many of the goods they bring with them on tours. This mainly includes food packaging, drinks, and so on. It’s a small step, but it will help change behaviours for many of the acts that constantly perform on the stages around this island.
The Ibiza Preservation’s plastic-free star rating system
Another key introduction is a scheme that looks to reward clubs who slowly phase out their plastic. The Ibiza Preservation’s plastic-free system rewards stars to clubs who commit to getting rid of plastics. The more stars you have, the more of a commitment you’ve made.
This scheme aims to completely phase out single-use plastic in Ibiza party destinations within the next three-four years. Currently, most venues will use well over 400,000 plastic straws every year, along with hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles, containers, and much more. It’s clear that clubs and party destinations are one of the main culprits of plastic pollution in Ibiza. It’s hoped that this new initiative will put a stop to things and slowly reduce the amount of waste year by year.
Volunteering and offsetting carbon
The previous two points look at what Ibiza is doing to reduce plastic waste and encourage more plastic recycling from now on. However, there’s still the issue of all the waste that’s currently lying about. As such, many tourists are helping out by volunteering to collect rubbish from beaches and the ocean. They collect bags full of the stuff every day, which can then be moved to Ibiza recycling destinations.
Similarly, many of the artists that travel to Ibiza – and around nearby islands – are offsetting carbon. In effect, they pay more for their air travel, but the extra money goes towards environmental initiatives. It’s a way of balancing out your carbon footprint by acknowledging you’re polluting the earth and putting money towards schemes that help combat it.
In conclusion, there’s clearly a huge problem with waste in Ibiza. It generates more than anywhere else in Europe, but there are things in place to influence a positive change. It starts with clubs and artists cutting down on plastic usage, along with other movements designed to tackle the existing waste. Hopefully, in a few years, this will no longer be a massive talking point!
