The Iberostar Group is no stranger to the fight against plastic waste, and now it plans to bring that initiative to its staff (literally) in the form of recycled-plastic uniforms.
In June, the hotel company launched its Wave of Change program, which aims to reduce plastic pollution, promote sustaining fishing, and conserve and protect marine ecosystems. Through the program, Iberostar will have eliminated more than 200 tons of single-use plastics throughout its Spanish properties alone by the end of this year.
As one of the first hotel companies to eliminate the use of plastic straws in 2017, it’s no surprise that Iberostar has more in store for the Wave of Change program. The hotel company has already begun gradually replacing its staff’s traditional polyester uniforms with ones created using an alternative material made entirely out of recycled plastic. The uniforms still maintain the customized design created by Davidelfin for Iberostar, while also contributing to the removal of about 470,000 plastic bottles from the oceans and landfills.
Staff members have tested the look and feel of the uniforms, which have already been introduced at the Iberostar Paseo de Gracia Hotel in Barcelona and Iberostar Sabila on Tenerife. The uniforms will be rolled out at the rest of the company’s 120-plus hotels by the end of 2019.
In addition to the elimination of straws and replacing the polyester uniforms, other initiatives that have been rolled out as part of the Wave of Change program include replacing plastic bottles with glass, replacing plastic bin liners with ones made from vegetable and potato-starched materials, and even cutting down on the use of pens and pencils in guest rooms. Plastic plates, glasses and cutlery has been replaced with bamboo products. And even the company’s all-inclusive plastic bracelets have been switched to fabric ones made of recyclable materials.
