You’d think that plastic food packaging would be enough to solve Europe’s food waste problem. The reason why most of our food is packaged in a supermarket is because it keeps our produce ‘fresher’ right?

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Both plastic pollution and food waste are at all time highs and there has never been a better moment to find solutions. Luckily, there are many innovative packaging ideas, which aim to reduce the source of both plastic pollution and food waste.

It can be a challenging task to keep up to date with the newest tourism trends. Luckily, we’ve come up with a list of 7 major current trends and insights in the tourism sector to keep you up to date while inspiring you to use these tips to grow a sustainable business.

When goods and services are traded in marketplaces around the world, you are able to look at a price tag and decide to purchase the product of your choice. When it comes to thing like safety, happiness, fresh air and most importantly, a clean environment, these qualities are not ‘for sale’ and therefore do not have a price tag.

This is where ECIs (Environmental Cost Indicators) can help quantify the value of the impact an action can have on the environment. Read on to see how your business can use these to become more sustainable!

The 17 United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched in 2015, highlight 169 targets that aim to push forward the current standards of international development. The SDGs focus around many topics including targets for protecting the planet, fighting inequality and combatting the effects of climate change while involving all relevant stakeholders along the implementation process.

The question is: how can these goals be applied to sustainable tourism?

What is the power of celebrity and how can it be used for good?

These are two big questions that our generation of Millennials have been confronted with in a world that seeks validation from the internet and pop culture.While social media popularity and the value of celebrity image can be used to promote things from retail products, businesses, and even snack foods, influencers can also be used for fighting climate change and spreading the word on sustainability.

This blog highlights a list of celebrities that have taken it upon themselves to utilize their star power for a greater good. These celebrities are actors of change and models of a sustainable mindset for current and future generations.

What is a cigarette filter made out of? The answer is plastic.

Many smokers and non-smokers are now just beginning to realize that cigarette butts have long been our biggest source of forgotten plastic. In this blog, I will discuss the environmental implications of cigarette butt pollution, followed by revelations that I had while taking part in a city-wide cleanup in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Some say that traveling can heal the soul, but at what cost for the environment? In this blog I’ll discuss what it would take to normalize sustainable choices and how we can encourage tourists to treat destinations as if they were at home.

In this interview our team members from Sea Going Green sat down with Amber Westerborg, the Impact Manager of The Student Hotel (TSH) situated a few minute cycle from the heart of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We asked TSH about their current sustainability projects and operations, how they are engaging staff and guests as well as some tips for other hotels looking to incorporate sustainability into their core business. 

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is the talk of the town these days, and no, not just because he is a beloved member of the British Royal family, but because of his new initiative looking to be a driving force for sustainable tourism: Travalyst. 

This past Tuesday in Amsterdam, Prince Harry along with some big names in the travel industry, Booking, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, Visa and C-Trip, gathered together in ADAM Tower amongst an intimate group of local entrepreneurs and professionals, including our very own Founder and CEO, Ally Dragozet. 

This week, we’re excited to announce Sea Going Green’s partnership with Aquablu, an innovative water filtration system looking to change the way that we access clean drinking water, leaving bottled water behind in the dust.

Aquablu allows for customers to tap into polluted or otherwise non-drinkable water and filter out micro-plastics, chemicals, antibiotics, heavy metals and more. This technology can even be used on board marine vessels such as cruise ships and luxury boats, which by using this product helps lower their CO2 footprint and mitigates the risk of plastic bottles (and caps) ending up overboard!

Read more about Aquablu in our interview with the founder, Marnix, and see for yourself how this could be a great addition to your home, office or boat!

In my last blog “Transitioning from a Tourism-Dependent Region to a Sustainable Paradise: The Caribbean Case Study pt. I” I talked about human pressures on the natural environment in the Caribbean. Even though these pressures are substantial, I think there is a way to turn the most unsustainable tourism-dependent region in the world into a sustainable tourism paradise. In this blog i’ll explain how this can come to be by using the example of Baja, Mexico. 

While getting ready for a long awaited vacation, you know all the tricks for packing light and smart - but what about packing zero waste? Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world and it has a significant impact on our environment. By making small changes while traveling, you can help cut down your plastic waste footprint and make your tourist behavior more sustainable. Continue reading this article for some useful tips and tricks!

If you’re like me, you love seafood and probably won’t stop eating it anytime soon. But, do you really know where it comes from, and what kind of impact it has on the environment?

What if I told you that some of the lobster you eat could be causing irreversible damage to our ocean’s most threatened species? In this post you’ll find out some tips to avoid unsustainable seafood and how to use your wallet in a more environmentally conscious way.

Are you more of a bamboo straw person, prefer the look an feel of a plastic straw with an eco-friendly twist or want a straw that you can snack on? Netherlands-based Sipster Straws has you covered. After having discovered their passion for sustainability while living in Vietnam, the Sipster team has developed a series of environmentally friendly straw options to ensure that there is an option for every type of consumer. In this week's blog, we'll continue our interview series by asking Sipster Straws about how they came to be, what unique straw offerings that have and their take on sustainability in the tourism industry! 

Have you ever wished for a platform that was like a travel guide, but with a sustainable and eco-friendly stamp of approval from passionate travelers and insiders? Then One Planet Rating is for you. Whether it be finding a environmentally responsible hotel or searching for a restaurant serving up sustainable seafood, the options are endless. This week’s blog post will explain more about the purpose of this global platform and also the ins and outs of how it works via our interview with co-founder, Richard Lindberg.

This week Sea Going Green got the chance to talk with IamStrawless (Arian Lurie) on the "going strawless” movement which is making waves in Amsterdam and around the globe!

Read more to see what inspired the creation of IamStrawless, how the movement has caught fire and the importance of engaging the hospitality and tourism industries to embrace sustainable alternatives.

We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Wildenest , an online blog and webshop promoting sustainable living and ocean conservation.

Read more about the amazing initiative of Wildenest and how they are promote eco-living!

When planning our next holiday, we always make sure we have the essentials. We might even make a checklist of all the things we need and all the places we’re going to see. But do any of us really think about how our trip might affect the local community of our holiday destination?

As you lay on the beach, relaxing and soaking up the sunshine, enjoying your holiday or weekend
getaway or gap year adventure, you reach over and take a sip from your refreshing drink. But have you ever thought twice about what happens to that straw you are using. Have you ever been eco-conscious while abroad?

I used to never think about trash. As a Western city dweller,  it is easy to remain in blissful ignorance of garbage: where it comes from, where it goes. The only brain cells devoted to trash were for mindless separation, and remembering to take the seperated bags out before they got too full. Otherwise convenience (or a frustrated roommate) takes over, and everything ends up in the general bin.