Leaders of the Galapagos have joined the war against plastic in order to protect the popular islands and its wildlife by telling tourists they’re no longer permitted to bring plastic to the destination.
G Adventures has advised that as of 26 February 2019, the Galapagos Council will prohibit visitors and tour operators from bringing non-returnable bottles of any description to the islands.
The ban on plastic bottles joins an existing ban on plastic straws, which came into place on 26 May 2018, as well as the ban on plastic bags commencing on 26 July 2018.
HURRAY FOR THAT.
Once all three plastic restrictions are in place, there will essentially be a Galapagos-wide ban on the non-reusable material, which should in turn help drastically reduce the plastic pollution on and around the islands.
G Adventures is among the first to welcome the latest plastic restriction and said it will support the Galapagos Council’s decision by offering its guests complimentary reusable water bottles for both sea-and-land-based trips departing from 1 January 2019.
For those worried about using local water to re-fill their bottles, G Adventures said all its boats are fitted with filtered water in refillable tanks and hotels will also offer the same service.
Alternatively, click here for a list of plastic bottle alternatives.
Ingrid Kocijan, Director of Sales for G Adventures Australia and New Zealand, said plastics waste is at a critical level globally, and any move to reduce their usage is a positive step.
“As a responsible tour operator we have more responsibility to protect our planet than ever before.”
Ingrid Kocijan, G Adventures Director of Sales
“At G Adventures, we already encourage all travellers to bring reusable water bottles with them on their trip, and are fortunate that with our office in Quito, it is logistically feasible to provide reusable water bottles to our travellers departing to the Galapagos.”
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