Partnering to minimise economic impact of marine plastic pollution on tourism

It is our collective responsibility that we make sure our beaches are clean - MMC Siyasanga Sijadu

In celebration of Tourism Month this September, Sustainable Seas Trust (SST), in partnership with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality: Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture Directorate, hosted an interactive workshop on 23 September 2021 to explore how municipalities can be supported to better manage plastic packaging waste.

Policy tools such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) were discussed as a key economic instrument to decrease litter, along with the importance of creating a competitive tourism destination. The cost of plastic pollution is enormous and growing, affecting human health and the environment and numerous economic sectors that rely on marine and coastal environments to generate income. Tourism is a sector particularly impacted by pollution, as the desirability of tourism destinations are influenced by factors such as waste and pollution.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also introduced new waste streams into the environment and has seen the increased use of single-use plastics among consumers and businesses alike. The call to build back better and sustainably is growing. Tourism has arguably been the sector most severely impacted by the global pandemic.

As destinations start to reopen, the need to support this sector’s green recovery is greater than ever. Municipalities have an important role to play in promoting compelling tourism destinations and in managing waste that encourages economic development within the plastics value chain. This role includes providing citizen information about waste avoidance, anti-littering behaviour and the collection of recyclables, as well as acting as amplifiers for initiatives that promote sustainable waste management and EPR.

Discarded litter and marine pollution brought in by the ocean tide or rivers all detract from the aesthetic beauty of our coastline, and research has shown that cleanliness is the most important factor in deciding which beach to visit by locals and foreign visitors. Nelson Mandela Bay is one of a handful of global Hope Spots due to it being a unique marine area of exceptional ecological and biodiversity significance. Tourists flock to the metro’s beaches all year round for fun, healthy, outdoor, family activities.

The need for the NMBM community to co-create solutions to the marine plastic pollution problem to protect our beaches and marine life and our economy is therefore urgent. MMC Siyasanga Sijadu stated in her opening address, “We pride ourselves, as a city, and we say we want to be a tourism destination, but how do we become a tourism destination if our beaches are filthy? And who can change that? Not a person coming from another city. It is us. We are the ones who are responsible for the mess that we see today. We are the ones creating this mess, and it is only we who take that mess out of the ocean. It is our collective responsibility that we make sure our beaches are clean.”