Week 4. Tourist Against Trash

This is the final blog post from our friend Jacqui Scruby. I have learnt so much and have picked up lots of useful tips on how I can do my bit. Sometimes it’s easier to bury our heads in the sand but now is the time for all of us to face our fears. The more knowledge we have the more power we have to make change. Our environmental issues are huge and I know it can seem insignificant making small changes but the more noise we make the more chance we have of governments and large corporations listening to our demands and ultimately making the significant changes needed.

Over to you Jacqui…

There's a huge, hidden, elephant in the room when it comes to your favourite Mediterranean island. Whilst you're saying 'no straw' in your Mojito ... every other bit of rubbish that's being generated on the island is literally being thrown over the island's shoulder to a landfill site in a hidden bay, possibly on a cliff precariously close to the ocean. Truck after truck taking tonne after tonne up to the island's landfill, dumping trash over a cliff, cascading down into a valley birth canal leading to the ocean.

Ios Landfill

From my research I have come to realise that the only way to end this problem is tourism. Tourists putting pressure on these destinations to change. Tourists telling these islands that they won't support them if these landfill sites aren't addressed. Tourists collaborating to make the world aware of the situation. That's the mission of Tourists Against Trash - an organisation I've set up that as a traveller - YOU have the opportunity to make a huge contribution by playing a small part. Read on to learn more!

How I First Came to Realise This Was a Problem

If the opening paragraph sounds like I'm being dramatic - it's the reverse - it simply doesn't do it justice. I discovered my first landfill site like this 2 years ago whilst on the island of Vis - an island we'd chosen to visit as it had been frozen in time as a military base for many years and boasted one of the world's top 10 beaches. It was also the location for Mamma Mia 2 and has it's own blue cave declared by WWF to be 'one of the last remaining jewels of the Mediterranean'.

Lefkada Landfill

Heading around a bend near the cute fishing village of Komiza we were faced with an illegal landfill site - in plain sight, next to the glimmery ocean. I was shocked - I got out, took photos and was very distressed, my children kept asking why it would be near the ocean and I didn't have an answer for them - this was a large island with many inland locations a landfill site could have been situated. I didn't have an answer.

Only 7km from the Blue Cave, returning we could see the landfill from the water - exactly where Mamma Mia 2 was filmed. Below it a natural spring, where tourist boats previously would stop to fill water bottles (no longer due to leachate) and a beach famous for a Sophia Loren shoot which is now covered in plastic and microplastics. I couldn't understand how everyone was so proud of showing off these natural wonders yet a landfill site was allowed to be in amongst it all. Ask any questions and the only answer was shoulder shrugs.

Vis Landfill aka Mamma Mia Landfill after the film shot just below it.

I took footage and got in contact with many organisations, including multiple WWFs. All answers were the same - that it was common on Mediterranean islands, and there's nothing anyone can do and it isn't an area they are focusing on. Despite this information when I researched ocean side landfills, I could find next to no information on the internet - except for one article on a landfill site on the Greek island of Andros that had collapsed into the ocean sending hundreds of thousands of tonnes of trash into the sea. A huge contributor to ocean pollution - yet completely ignored. I also didn't accept that there is nothing that can be done to improve the situation.

Fast forward a few more trips and I soon discovered that landfill sites with ocean views are ubiquitous. Much to my husband's (initial) horror, the glamorous girl he thought he married became a tip chaser - seeking out landfill sites in the most stunning holiday destinations - a far cry from our Pinterest board holiday plans.

Vis Landfill aka Mamma Mia Landfill after the film shot just below it.

Tilos' landfill site is over capcity - facing the ocean with debris flying out from it in the wind. Los and Lefkada sites are on hills near the water, one located next to the major harbour.

Our favourite island of Kastellorizo, which continues to shock us with the amount of plastic in the water with turtles swimming through it and locals doing nothing, a few years ago had a tip on a steep incline leading to the sea. Due to pressure from returning Greek Aussies each summer it was moved inland and regenerated - an example of some changes that can be made. However, due to the small size of the island the new landfill is still within 300m of the ocean and a trip to the old site still shows waste popping through the gravel layer - including old fridges and cars - very close to the water's edge.

Hydra Landfill aka Leonard Cohen landfill

The most shocking perhaps was Hydra - an island known for it's glamour, frequented by Kate Moss and home to Leonard Cohen and no-car policy, giving it an image of some degree of sustainability. The landfill site I discovered here was around the bend from the Mandraki - the major swimming beach for the island. That's right, without knowing it tourists are swimming only a few hundred meters from landfill leachate. Again - a huge island with ample inland space had a landfill site on a cliff leading to the ocean.

So why isn't anything being done? The European Commission is aware of the problem, but not of the details of it. It has fined countries like Greece who pass on fines to municaplities, who pay hundreds of thousands of dollars each year but continue to operate the landfill sites. They have had feasibility studies, alternative waste management proposals and on Hydra, funding has been approved but works never commenced. The reason nothing is done is complex - from archeological issues to locals being fearful of raised taxes. One theme that is constant is that Municipalities care only about tourism and tourism isn't effected by the landfill or even copious amount of trash on the beach.

Andros Landfill aka Leonardo Di Caprio - Leonardo Di Caprio drew attention to this island recently after it collapsed and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rubbish fell into the Mediterranean.

Tourists Against Trash

Tourists Against Trash is designed to change that. We have a number of projects to let governments know plastic pollution and illegal landfill sites impact tourism. We are working with other organisations to release viral drone footage of the site to raise awareness and support a petition to Hydra and Greek Authorities to have the illegal landfill site decommissioned.

We also have a Landfill Mapping Project - our aim is to map every landfill site within 500m of the ocean, together with photos and footage by the end of 2020. We also use our Instagram account to bridge the gap between tourists and municipalities and Ministers for Tourism - making sure tourist feedback on trash in nature is being received. Finally it supports waste reduction, empowering tourists to be eco-travellers (TAT Travellers) to help drive change in these destinations and locals to make shifts towards zero waste.

Here's how you can be a TAT Traveller

1. Sign Our Petition

Head to our website www.touristsagainsttrash.com and sign up to be informed when our viral drone footage of Hydra's illegal landfill site and it's supporting petition go live. We'll let you know just before it's released so you can be the first people to sign the petition!

Mapping of Landfill sites - this one is Hydra.

2. Map a Landfill Site Next Summer

It's easy!!! If you are heading to a Mediterranean island next summer this will require no more than an hour or two of your time and will bring tremendous change - the cost benefit is huge. Your mapping of a landfill site via our website will provide the European Comission with information they do not currently have. All you need to do is chat to a local and find the location of the site and let us know through our website www.touristagainsttrash.com . If you can - catch a ride up there and take some pictures or footage - although this is not essential- even the rough location is invaluable as it allows us to find the site on Google Earth.

3. Use Instagram - Tag @touristsagainsttrash

If you see trash in nature let us know by tagging us on Instagram and hashtaging your location #TAT*yourlocation* e.g. @touristsagainsttrsh #TATMykonos . We will collate all the evidence from those locations and your comments and provide these to the Municipalities. Currently locals have no idea that tourists are disgusted by the current situation. Some Mayors are farmers who don't speak English - they really have no idea about global movements to protect the environment or your beach cleaning efforts. We translate into the local language and provide them with this evidence to motivate them to better manage waste.

4. Be As Zero Waste Traveller

Actions speak louder than words - being a zero waste traveller with water filters, own bags and saying no to straws. Be the change you want to see. Check out our previous weeks' posts on how to do this.

5. Become Imperfectly Plastic Free at Home - 6 Weeks to Plastic Free

Join 6 Weeks to Plastic Free for plastic free bootcamp for your home. You'll follow a week by week process that makes shifting to zero waste easy and efficient and satisfyingly effective. This is not about switching out a couple of items but going hardcore for a 6 Week period (like a weight loss bootcamp) to see what you can achieve and create a new lifestyle. The aim is to have hardly any plastic waste in your recycling (as it rarely gets recycled) and have your landfill waste done to almost nothing. We have a whole module on zero waste travel. Check out www.6weekstoplasticfree.comand @6weekstoplasticfree.

To get daily inspiration follow Jacqui on instagram @jacqui.scruby or if you want extra help to live a plastic free luxe life check out her 6 weeks online course to going plastic free www.6weekstoplasticfree.com @6weekstoplasticfree and www.jacquiscruby.com

Also if you missed the previous blog posts in this series you can check it out here:

Week 1. Plastic Free Travel - What you need to pack

Week 2. Plastic Free Travel - Mindset and Behaviour

Week 3. Climate Change - Be Carbon Positive

Week 3. Climate Change - Be Carbon Positive

Photo: Jacqui Scruby

We’re really excited to have Jacqui back with us again this week to talk about going carbon neutral and tips on how to offset your carbon footprint.

All these tips come from a non-judgemental place and are tools to help you understand what options are available. We understand that it may be hard to implement all these ideas but if you’re like me you just do what you can. Every positive action we make, not matter how small, collectively will have a big impact.

We hope you find the info below useful and do let us know what changes you and your family have made or going to make. Thanks, Sommer x

The Low Down on Offsetting

To offset a single 4 hour return flight, you'll pay about $7USD. With our current climate emergency - is there any justification for not doing this? Have a read to understand why and how you can offset your travel and your life.

Over the last couple of weeks we've focused on travelling zero waste which is a great way to reduce the environmental impact of your travel. But whilst plastic is a huge problem - Climate Change is the biggest problem facing our world and unfortunately, air travel is a major contributor to it (making up 2% of global emissions and a large proportion of your personal emissions depending on how much you travel).

This puts all of us who care for the environment, but love to travel, in a moral dilemma. Without a doubt the most eco approach is to not fly (latest UK stats show 1 in 7 people are prepared to make that commitment), and whilst you may cut back on flying, let's be real - we're human and it's likely that some holidays will be a vice we're not willing to sacrifice.

That's where offsetting comes in - paying for projects that will even the scales and take out of the atmosphere equivalent amounts of carbon dioxide that your flights produce (or defer emissions that would otherwise be going into the atmosphere but for your investment to stop them). From tree planting to renewable energy - these projects would not happen unless you pay for them to (a concept called additionality). In a nutshell if you can't plant trees yourself - you're paying for someone else to do it for you.

Photo: Jacqui Scruby

Don't let the haters stop you!

Sounds good in theory - but you may have heard rumblings that offsetting is a waste of money or a cop out. It's controversial for a range of reasons - including that the emissions may have been reduced anyway, the trees planted may not survive for the length of time required to sequester carbon or that the concept of offsetting fails to dissuade people from flying - acting as a 'get-out-of-climate-guilt-free-card'.

Whilst there are legitimate arguments - I urge you to rise above it and realise that at the end of the day - if someone is planting a tree on your behalf it's worth it. If you're not the person who doesn't sponsor a child with World Vision because they think the child will only receive 80% of the money - then don't be that person with offsets either. If you have serious reservations - put your money where your mouth is and pay more for Gold Standard offsets (see below).

Let's not forget, organisations providing verified offsets are audited and meet standards set by the United Nations. Like all investments, there is an inherent risk of uncertainty, similar to sponsoring a child or donating to other charities - but at the end of the day the work that is done can't be denied.

The fact is, we already have too much carbon in the atmosphere. Already too much means we shouldn't be adding any more and the only way to do that if we are adding is to take it out and avoid putting more in there. Simplistic but true. Whilst the greatest pressure should be on governments, industry and the biggest polluters to legislate and innovate - that's not happening at the moment - so if you are privileged enough to travel - then, I believe you are obligated to offset and at least make your travel carbon neutral but even carbon positive (by buying more).

Here are my tips on how and why you should purchase offsets for your travel.

Photo: Jacqui Scruby

1. Commit to buying offsets

Don't debate whether to offset each flight or ship travel. Have a family meeting and make the commitment upfront now as a family that you will offset your travel. If you need to be convinced - do your research, soul searching, and dinner table discussions to satisfy yourself and stop the constant questioning in your head. The best thing to do is talk to an 8 year old and try and give them all the excuses for why you think you shouldn't buy an offset. Chances are you'll find there's no real justification.

2. Fly Less

Some people are committing to no longer flying but most of us won't or can't do this. What we can do is commit to really trying to reduce our flights and cutting any unnecessary flights as well as critically analysing whether we need to fly into holiday planning. If you fly for work - try to reduce those flights first by using video conferencing. If you travel to Europe why not travel by train and opt for it even if it is a little bit more expensive. Make the rest of your life as carbon neutral as possible so your overall footprint isn't huge.

3. Offset Even When There's no Box to Tick

Unfortunately offsetting isn't as easy as ticking a box. Some airlines offer offsetting but many don't. By all means make it easy for yourself and offset and tick the box when it's there. But when it's not - have a short list of companies that provide offsets that you can go straight to in order to calculate your own emissions and offset independently. If possible support airlines such as KLM, Air New Zealand and Qantas that have an offset program and are leading the way in cutting single use plastic and investigating how to reduce carbon emissions.

4. Pick an Offset Company and Stick with It

Check out the companies that offer offsets and calculators and choose the ones you want to support to make it efficient each time you offset. My favourite companies are below - they offer a range of projects that you and your kids can choose from. If you want the highest standard then you can choose Gold Standard that are rigorously verified by the UN as projects worthy of countries to purchase to meet the emission requirements under the Kyoto Protocol. These are approximately $18USD/per tonne of CO2. However, it's not necessary to choose these projects for your offsets as there are other schemes and projects that are excellent and meet other standards that are audited and verified - but they are about half the price at about $7USD/tonne. Our family pays $7USD/tonne.

5. Pick Project that Resonate with Your Values - Get the Kids Involved.

I personally love tree-planting projects as I love the idea of regenerating the earth. However, these weren't included under the Kyoto protocol as there are issues of permanence (they could burn or be cut down in the future) and don't address shifting away from fossil fuels. Don't let the politics of it all confuse you - if they are listed by a reputable company just trust in the process and go for it. My kids love purchasing from projects that also help communities in developing countries.

Getting the kids involved each time helps them understand Climate Change and the connection between emissions and how to get CO2 out of the air.

Photo: Cool Effect via Instagram

Photo: Cool Effect via Instagram

My Favourite Websites Are:

FlyGreen - If you book your flights through this website to company uses its commissions to buy your offsets meaning your offsets are free.

Cool Effect - Cool Effect has a very simple carbon calculator and affordable offsets at about $7/tonne CO2 (about a return 4 hour flight). There are a range of projects to choose from and all your money goes to offsetting.

World Land Trust - If you want our national hero David Attenborough's stamp of approval go with World Land Trust. They have a carbon calculator and offer offsets and David Attenborough himself states "The money that is given to the World Land Trust, in my estimation, has more effect on the wild world than almost anything I can think of".

Gold Standard - These offsets will be more expensive as they undergo the most rigorous assessments designed for nations to use to help them meet the Kyoto requirements. I don't think you need to go this far - but if you have doubts - spend the extra money and go with Gold Standard.

Offset Earth - This company is a great resource for offsetting your emissions on a monthly basis. It also helps you track and reduce your impact. Depending on your lifestyle you can offset your emissions for £4/week

5. Keep Calculating Simple

Don't get confused about calculating. Use a simple calculator such as Cool Effects or World Land Trust to calculate your flight and annual emissions. Don't get bogged down in detail - just use a calculator and roll with the estimates. If you want to err on the side of caution or be carbon positive (because we need to do more than just be neutral), then purchase a few more offsets. For ship travel - assume it's the same as airline travel and go with that.

6. Pay as You Go

I'm a big believer in paying for your offsets as you go. Firstly, this approach means you don't cop the cost in one big hit but it also means that you are engaged with the impact of each flight. If kids are involved it helps build the direct connection between actions and impact.

7. Don't stop there

It doesn't cost a lot to make your life carbon neutral. Go through life and teach your kids the attitude "do your best, offset the rest". Use the World Land Trust calculator to determine your emissions for the year - it doesn't need to be perfect.

Doing your best in your normal life means:

- Reducing meat intake

- Purchasing certified renewable electricity for the home - my favourite company is Ecotricity - with the added bonus that they have great customer service.

- Having no car, one car or a hybrid and opting for public transport when you can.

- Hanging clothes out and instead of using the dryer.

- Flying less.

- Generally buying less things, taking up less space (not having a huge house) and buying locally to reduce transport emissions.

- Using the search engine Ecosia - for phone and desktop - they plant a tree every 45 searches.

Photo: Cool Effect via Instagram

The Bigger Picture

At the end of the day, individual action is a drop in the ocean - but where it really comes to play is the impact it has on influencing huge government and industry changes. By modelling climate aware practices at home - you're creating a trend that will cause governments to act, supporting companies who are doing the right thing to grow and creating little humans that grow up into industry and country leaders that rule the world with this ethos.

Photo: Jacqui Scruby

To get daily inspiration follow Jacqui on instagram @jacqui.scruby or if you want extra help to live a plastic free luxe life check out her 6 weeks online course to going plastic free www.6weekstoplasticfree.com @6weekstoplasticfree and www.jacquiscruby.com

Also if you missed the previous blog posts in this series you can check it out here:

Week 1. Plastic Free Travel - What you need to pack

Week 2. Plastic Free Travel - Mindset and Behaviour

Week 2. Plastic Free Travel - Mindset and Behaviour

Turtles in Kastellorizo swimming through rubbish and microplastics. We regularly get nets to clean the harbour but are ridiculed by locals who refuse to do the same.

Be vocal

A lot of locals in remote islands or in other places around the world are not as aware of plastic and environmental issues as the UK. Often they have the mentality that if they didn't put the rubbish there it's not theirs to clean - when it's a responsibility for all of us. They care about tourists but don't see any connection between the environment and tourism. That means tourists have a huge opportunity to make a difference and make locals care by realising it may impact tourism. Speak up and say that you don't want single use water cups or straws at a seaside restaurant. If you're at a water front restaurant, tell them nicely that you're not eating with them if the water is filthy or if there are straws all over the beach. On the flip side - speak up and tell them how much you love their efforts if they are making efforts. We found places in Sri Lanka and Formentera with metal straws and glass jars for smoothies - so we wrote great reviews for them on Tripadvisor.

Mention in person and then rant or rave on Tripadvisor - business owners and locals will soon see that the environment impacts tourism.

We factor in extra time to sit down for a meal rather than grab takeaway - Sushi is more fun with a sushi train.

Beach Cafe in Formentera serving smoothies in glass with metal straws.

Be a Slow Traveller

Be a slow traveller and sit down for meals. As convenient as Pret and M&S are, we now get to the airport a little earlier (totally out of character for me) and sit down to eat rather than grabbing take away. We have our takeaway containers and usually order extra to take as leftovers as we avoid plane food and snacks. It also means you are less likely to miss your flight!

Campo di Fiori, Rome - we looked for Airbnbs that were next to Rome's largest food market

Trapani in Sicily, again we chose an airbnb near the local market.

Seeking out bulk food and zero waste shops - in Lyon.

Stay Near Markets or Agritourismos

We love picking Airbnbs so we can cook and select those that are near markets so popping downstairs each morning and collecting everything we need whilst immersing ourselves in local life. In Rome we stayed above Piazza Di Fiori and in Trapani we have the local market downstairs. It makes a huge difference living by a market as you have a real local experience every day and don't have far to carry the groceries! In Mallorca we stayed at an Agritourismo with chickens and a veggie garden that the girls could access every morning to help collect eggs and food.

Freshly picked coconut cut to make its own spoon in Sri Lanka.

Search for Zero Waste Shops

Unfortunately markets don't usually have everything. So I do a quick googles search for zero waste or bulk food shops when I arrive somewhere. The website https://www.bepakt.com/ is a great reference for a list of locations. We then spend time in our first few days checking them out and doing our shopping. Often we visit a few to cover all our needs, finding ones with milk in glass is a real treat. It gives us a sense of direction as soon as we arrive somewhere and it is a bit of an adventure.

Collecting eggs in the morning from Son Mesquida Vell.

Seeking out plastic free cheese in the markets in Sardinia.

Make Zero Waste Fun

Whether it's at a bulk food shop and supermarket, we make it a treasure hunt seeking out food with either no packaging or in glass or tin (that is readily recyclable). My kids love going on the hunt for yoghurt in glass or finding nuts at the markets to make nut milk. We also seek out local activities related to food production, such as cheesemaking or mushroom foraging and of course embrace local foods for breakfast - such as olives, cucumbers and eggs.

Foraging in Greece - carob, pomegranate and figs

Foraging in Greece for wild figs

Forage

Ok, it sounds a little wanky but it's anything but! If you're in a location that lends itself, engage with your food and forage for some. If you have kids it's a great way to connect them with the environment and teach them about local flora and cuisine. Have a forage and then include what you find in your next meal. My kids hated pomegranate until they picked it off the tree themselves. The Mediterranean islands are full of wild herbs, succulents, figs and carob and of course the allusive prickly pear. France has mushrooms and sunflower heads full of seeds, everywhere has something. My daughter and I have spent a good 2 hours trying to remove the micro-needles from our prickly pear foraging experience - but it hasn't deterred us, the harder to get, the more you want it right?

Foraging in Greece - local succulents to use in salads.

Foraging in Greece - Sage.

Learning how to say 'no plastic' in the language of the country you are in, this is Italian.

Get Down with the Lingo

The best way to communicate that you don't want plastic is to learn how to say 'no plastic' in the language of the country you are in. I find people so responsive when we have clearly made the effort to learn a little bit of the language! I get the girls to look up on google translate how to say 'no plastic' in which ever language we need to use.

Beach Clean in Sri Lanka. We limited the clean to outside our house - otherwise the kids would have cleaned all day.

Do a Clean and use Hashtags

You're on holiday - it's not your responsibility to clean all the time but I feel that I can't let my kids think waste in nature is normal - and the only way to get that message across is to do something about it. We mix it up with small cleans and larger beach cleans.

For a larger clean, get in touch with a local Facebook group to see if there's anyone who can join you - just search your location and there are likely to be groups. Take pics, post on social media and use hashtags such as #2minutebeachclean #TAT #TAT*yourlocation* #trashchallenge or #3forthesea. Don't let unattractive pictures stop you posting. If you have a pretty social media account hide the waste pics in a gallery and make the leading pic pretty - the end result.

Unfortunately sometimes the only way to do a clean is to use plastic bags as hessian aren't available. But it's a judgement call - it's better to do that and remove the waste from a vulnerable area such as a beach than leave it in nature.

Quick 2 minute clean in Croatia at the Krka Waterfalls.

My kids pick up waste all the time so I actually have to put rules around it i.e. 2 Minute Beach Clean, and teach them it's not their job to do it all the time everywhere. I also make sure that if they are building a sandcastle of fairy house they only use items from nature to decorate, not trash.

Offset your travel

Finally - as much as plastic is a problem, the greatest challenge of our time is climate change. One of the greatest ways we as individuals can reduce emissions is to reduce air and boat travel. There is already too much carbon in the atmosphere, so there's a moral imperative to not add to the problem. Offsetting comes in because we can't plant our own trees en-mass or create renewable electricity in developing countries. We offset all our travel and more using Cool Effect https://www.cooleffect.org/ and their simple calculator, getting our kids involved in choosing a project. It's a small cost - sometimes as little as £7.

Then remember - have fun! It's almost impossible to be plastic free - but your efforts to be imperfectly plastic free will make a difference far beyond the actual trash you save. You'll be influencing your children, friends and over time - regulators. When you do use plastic - do it mindfully, like you would having a treat if you follow a healthy diet. If you have a plastic binge - like one trip to M&S in desperation - use it as a time to reflect on how much plastic is created in a single purchase and how far you've come by usually avoiding it. Awareness is everything.

Turtles in Kastellorizo - who often swim through rubbish and microplastics with no effort made by locals or the municipality to clean the area.

To get daily inspiration follow Jacqui on instagram @jacqui.scruby or if you want extra help to live a plastic free luxe life check out her 6 weeks online course to going plastic free www.6weekstoplasticfree.com @6weekstoplasticfree and www.jacquiscruby.com

Also if you missed last weeks blog post you can check it out here Week 1. Plastic Free Travel - What you need to pack.