Guide offers advice on waste management in tourism

The Greek Tourism Confederation Institute (INSETE) is calling on the state to introduce a pay-as-you-throw system, under which the amount that hotels and other tourism businesses pay in municipal taxes will be based on the amount of trash they produce, in a bid to bolster better waste management practices.

In a recent waste management guide for tourism businesses, INSETE advised industry professionals to educate themselves and their clients on best practices, while also calling on authorities to create recycling hubs in areas with high concentrations of tourism-related businesses.

Every tourist visiting Greece is estimated to produce between 1.7 and 2.5 kilograms of solid waste for every overnight stay, with hotels and cruise ships producing 400,000 to 550,000 tons of trash a year. Including food and catering, this amount reaches 650,000 tons, with experts saying that 250,000-350,000 tons of this comprises recyclable materials.