Plastics

Between October and November 2022, we studied the commercialisation of 25 pro-ducts that could be sold in bulk, in 6 super-markets and hypermarkets in Menorca: 56% of them were sold packaged in plastic.

Over use of plastic packaging for food in supermarkets, the prevalence of single-use plastics and low recycling rates have filled our coasts and environments with plastic waste. According to the “Balearic Sea Report 2021” by Marilles Foundation, 45% of the marine species studied had ingested microplastics.

Such high levels of plastics pollution was the driver behind an ambitious step to create the current Balearic Islands Law 8/2019 on waste and contaminated soils, focused on restricting the use of plastics and disposable products.. Despite this, in the hospitality sector, we identified that none of the businesses advised through our “plastic free” certification process complied with the law. Thereby revealing that even those businesses aspiring to comply with the law and reduce their use of plastics are not achieving it.

For this reason, it is vital that we are able to continue with our certification initiative, assisting businesses to reduce the use of plastics, while we also aim to become the leading platform for plastic-free initiatives on the island.

We seek to encourage people, governments, public institutions and the media to act in a way that contributes to a plastic-free island.