The Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute and Thant Myanmar organized series of trainings on plastic reduction on November 16 in three destinations namely Bagan, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw. The trainings kicked off at the Hilton Nay Pyi Taw on November 16, and then continued at the Thant Hotel Nyaung Oo in Bagan on November 19 and at Triumph Hotel in Mandalay on November 28, 2018.
The trainings aimed to raise awareness on the issue of plastic pollution, provide practical solutions, and identify the challenges or barriers that are preventing hotels from becoming plastic-free and more sustainable.
With the lack of efficient waste management systems, plastic waste winds up in rivers and oceans, not only polluting water ways, but also killing birds and marine life. In Mandalay alone, 889 tons (2017) of waste is produced, with plastics accounting for 12.6% (112 tons) of it. Barbara Schott from Thant Myanmar emphasized “We want to work closely with the hospitality industry to find practical solutions to reduce single-use plastics. It makes perfect business sense to reduce plastic, not only to save cost but also to use it as a promotion tool to attract new clients, especially from Western markets”. According to Thant Myanmar, the response from the Myanmar hospitality industry has been encouraging. At a recent event in partnership with booking platform Agoda, a total of 45 committed to gradually reduce their use of plastic in their hotels.
