Plastic waste is putting ecosystems around the world under increasing pressure, and the tourism industry contributes significantly to the problem. But with the right partner, hotels can do more than reduce their environmental footprint. They can make sustainability tangible for their guests. everwave's Plastic Credits make this possible through measurable, transparent, and certified environmental impact.
Plastic Pollution: A Global Problem with Local Solutions
Plastic is part of our everyday lives, from packaging and takeaway cups to cosmetic products. Yet only around 14% of global plastic waste is recycled. Much of the remainder ends up in landfills or the environment, polluting rivers and oceans and breaking down into microplastics that can be found even in the world's most remote ecosystems.
Every year, more than 19 million tonnes of plastic enter waterways and oceans. Once released into the environment, plastic persists for centuries, gradually fragmenting into microplastics. In early 2025, researchers detected microplastic particles in human organs, including the liver, kidneys, and brain. While the health implications are still being studied, one thing is clear: plastic pollution is not an abstract environmental issue. It affects all of us.
Why the Tourism Industry Must Take Action
Tourism is one of the world's most waste-intensive industries. More than 35 million tonnes of solid waste are generated annually through tourism-related activities, with approximately one kilogram of waste produced per guest and overnight stay.
At the same time, sustainability is becoming increasingly important to travellers. According to a study by the Institute for Management and Economic Research, sustainability plays a decisive role in accommodation choices for 35% of German travellers. Among travellers aged 18 to 34, this figure rises to 40%.
Sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have. It has become an expectation, particularly among younger generations.
Hotels that invest in sustainable solutions today can gain a measurable competitive advantage while strengthening their environmental credentials.
Plastic Credits: Turning Sustainability into Measurable Impact
everwave's Plastic Credit system allows hotels to directly link their sustainability strategy to tangible environmental action.
The concept is simple and transparent: for every Plastic Credit purchased, everwave removes one kilogram of plastic waste from rivers and waterways around the world through cleanup operations supported by boats, AI-assisted waste detection technologies, and independently certified impact tracking.
This makes Plastic Credits a strong foundation for sustainability communication that complies with requirements such as the EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EU) 2024/825. Rather than relying on vague claims such as "we are sustainable," hotels can communicate exactly how much waste has been removed through their support, providing transparent, verifiable, and credible evidence of their environmental contribution.
Plastic Credits in Practice: The ULRICHSHOF Example
A practical example of Plastic Credits in action is ULRICHSHOF, one of Germany's leading nature and wellness family hotels.
The hotel has integrated environmental action directly into the guest experience. Guests who voluntarily choose not to use disposable hotel slippers contribute to the removal of one kilogram of plastic waste from rivers and waterways through the hotel's partnership with everwave.
This creates a measurable environmental impact while allowing guests to become active participants in the solution.
Engaging Guests Through Sustainability: SuitePad's Green Option
In addition to Plastic Credits, tools such as SuitePad's Green Option offer hotels another way to involve guests directly in sustainability initiatives.
Through SuitePad's digital guest tablets, travellers staying multiple nights can conveniently opt out of daily room cleaning.
The impact is measurable. Studies show that such programmes can reduce room cleaning rates to around 32%, meaning roughly two-thirds of cleanings are avoided. This significantly reduces the consumption of cleaning products, water, and energy.
A hotel with approximately 150 rooms can save around 270,000 litres of water and 1,800 litres of detergent annually through these measures. In addition, every room that is not cleaned saves an average of €15 in operating costs.
Conclusion: Sustainable Tourism Requires Measurable Impact
The numbers make one thing clear: hotels that actively involve guests in their sustainability efforts can achieve meaningful, measurable impact while strengthening guest engagement and loyalty.
The combination of everwave's Plastic Credits and digital solutions such as SuitePad's Green Option enables hotels to make sustainability visible, tangible, and credible, transforming environmental responsibility into a real and measurable part of the guest experience.