Seventeen beach hotels at the Coast have banned the use of plastic bottles and straws in their establishments as the war on pollution gains momentum.
The hotels include Serena Beach Resort and Spa, Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa, Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort and Spa, Tamarind Mombasa, The Sands in Chale Island and Swahili Beach Resort.
Serena Beach Resort and Spa General Manager Tuva Mwahunga said the Mombasa-based facility joined the initiative to create a plastic-free coastline.
“We now offer mineral water in glass bottles at our restaurants for sale to our guests. We also educate and inspire our employees and guests on the conservation initiatives in place,” he said.
The hotel officials said they would replace the plastic bottles with sustainable alternatives under the initiative dubbed ‘Plastic Free East Africa Coast’ organised by Kenya Tourism Federation, UN Environment and Eco-Tourism Kenya.
The hotels are now embracing refillable water bottles of either glass or metallic materials, which are environment-friendly.
On August 29, 2017, Kenya banned single-use plastic bags and flat bags and imposed jail terms of up to four years and fines of Sh4 million for those in breach.
Plastic pollutants drift into the ocean, strangling turtles, suffocating seabirds and filling the stomachs of dolphins and whales with waste until they die of starvation.
Diani Reef Beach Resort and Spa Managing Director Bobby Kamani said bamboo straws would replace plastic straws.
“In the process of eliminating all single-use plastic within its premises, we are working on replacing plastic mineral water bottles with glass bottles. Diani Reef is working on a deadline of March 1,” he said.
Source: The Nation
