- IbizaPreservation, (Ma) and Bye Bye Plastic met “Ocio de Ibiza” to present them with a citizens’ petition to eliminate water bottles
- Association affirms commitment to continue working to reduce plastic footprint of member establishments
IBIZA, 30/11/2022. The environmental foundations IbizaPreservation and Bye Bye Plastic, together with the team of sustainable transformation lab (Ma), have met with a dozen representatives of Ibiza’s main discotheques and beach clubs to formally present them with a citizens’ petition that they launched at the start of the summer season and which has already gathered nearly 700 signatures.
IbizaPreservation, Bye Bye Plastic Foundation and (Ma) joined forces to urge the clubs that make up Ocio de Ibiza (the Ibiza Leisure Association), to set a global example in reducing their plastic footprint, requesting three specific measures be implemented for the coming season: stop serving water in plastic; offer more sustainable alternatives that comply with the Balearic waste law that establishes the obligation to offer non-bottled water free of charge (such as water fountains with deposit and return systems); and work with organisations that promote sustainability to integrate circular models that eliminate single-use products in the local music industry.
Ocio de Ibiza pledged to evaluate the proposal, while stressing that most of its members are already working to reduce the plastic footprint of their establishments. According to the association’s manager, José Luis Benítez, “our establishments have been working for years to reduce single-use plastics and replace them with other recyclable materials or materials that can be reused or have a lower environmental impact. There are even some stores that are already 100% plastic free”.
Benítez stressed, however, that “at present, it is not easy to do away with plastic water bottles altogether because the suppliers do not offer, for example, water in cans, which would be a more environmentally friendly option as aluminium is a material that can be 100% recycled.”
According to Inma Saranova, director of IbizaPreservation, the aim is to have at least three water fountains installed in clubs by the time of the 2023 openings: “By 2025, we hope that all the establishments will follow this example”. In addition, the three entities promoting the changes insisted that this was a clear opportunity for the sector to actively position itself in favour of a paradigm shift with regard to the use of single-use plastics.
Sofia Ribas, founder of (Ma) and member of Bye Bye Plastic emphasised that, “Ibiza’s clubs set trends around the world and we believe they have the power to lead a global change in the music industry also in terms of sustainability.”
This sentiment was expressed to the representatives of Ocio de Ibiza in a recent meeting at Origen Ibiza cowork in Illa Plana, in which the participants discussed the regulations affecting the establishments and the circular economy in general, in order to seek joint proposals to aid the transition to new models.
