The Travel Corporation today pledged to phase out all single-use plastics from its group of travel and tourism companies by 2022.
The target was announced to coincide with World Environment Day and is part of the company’s strategy to eliminate plastics.
More than 60 single-use plastic items such as straws, stir sticks, water bottles, plastic bags, and cutlery are being banned immediately from its 40 offices around the world.
This is the first step in plans to completely eliminate single-use plastics across all operations, which will also include the phasing out of single-use plastics across its Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, U by Uniworld and Red Carnation Hotels and all the Group’s travel experiences.
The efforts are estimated to have the potential to help eliminate the use of millions of plastic water bottles annually.
TTC took the first step toward eliminating plastic waste more than a year ago, implementing a single-use plastic ban in its Toronto office, replacing the items with viable alternatives.
That was followed by The Red Carnation Hotel Collection and Uniworld, which eliminated the purchase of all plastic straws and related single-use plastic items from 17 properties and 20 ships respectively.
Brett Tollman, chief executive of TTC and co-founder of ther not-for-profit TreadRight Foundation, said: “We are absolutely committed to doing our part to eliminate avoidable plastic waste and making a positive impact in the communities that we live in and visit.
“As a group with offices in more than 15 countries and operating in 70 countries around the world, we recognise the need to do our part to ensure that we do not further contribute to this planetary crisis.
“We are also encouraging our more than 10,000 team members to join us in this fight by reducing the use and consumption of products contained or served in plastic in their daily lives as well.
“We hope this sets a meaningful example to other businesses to join the movement in working to stop the scourge of plastics on a global scale.”
TreadRight ambassador Celine Cousteau added: “Plastics are a clear and present danger to the future of our planet.
“TTC’s commitment to the elimination of single-use plastics across the group inspires hope in the face of a massive adversary and signals to the industry the important role travel and tourism organisations must play in combatting the problem of plastics.”