The Costa del Sol is a place of natural beauty and stunning landscapes, attracting visitors from all around the world. However, with that beauty comes a responsibility to preserve the environment and the natural resources that make the area so appealing.
As a responsible traveller, you can do your part to help save the environment while enjoying your time on the Costa del Sol. Here are three simple ways you can be a responsible traveller to the Costa del Sol and help save the environment:
- Offset your "Carbon Footprint"
The Costa del Sol is a pioneer in Spain in offering travellers a carbon footprint calculator which can help you work out your holiday carbon footprint and offset the carbon emissions you create.
A “carbon footprint”. represents the total amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) created by an individual through their daily actions, measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide. It is important for our planet that we take measures to reduce our carbon footprints as much as possible. And the best place to start is with the day-to-day activities, including how we travel.
Travelling is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and this simple tool can help you work out your holiday carbon footprint and offset the carbon emissions you create helping you to reduce your impact on the environment.
The Tourism and Planning Department in Malaga is well aware that an increasing proportion of tourists are seeking sustainability and carbon offsetting for their holidays in the Province of Malaga. They have partnered with the Folia Project to offset any negative environmental effects by offseting their emissions by means of reforestation projects.
By using this tool, you can contribute to a better future for the planet.
https://www.visitcostadelsol.com/plan/tourist-information/carbon-footprint
- Leave no trace & find out how to give back
Leaving no trace should be a mantra we take with us on all our trips. A recent study In Spain and the Mediterranean by Blueislands, revealed that 50% of the Mediterranean’s beach plastic ‘comes directly from tourists.’
Researchers looked at a busy tourist beaches, a less popular locals beaches and beaches which were almost ‘untouched’. It found that 80% of beach litter was plastic, with tourism ‘directly’ accounting for 50% of the plastics.
By making sure that you take your waste away with you and recycle it responsibly in one of the many recycling points you can play your part in protecting our beaches and the environment.
We should change our habits any way we can so that our trips become as ecological as possible, not to mention applying this to our everyday life too.
Aside from having fun and relaxing during your holidays, a good way to make your trip a little more fulfilling is to give back to the place you’re visiting.
A great idea promoted by a local radio station Spectrum FM radio, is their “Pick up Three, Keep Our Oceans Plastic Free” campaign.
If every visitor picked up three items of plastic from any of the Costa del Sol’s beaches it would make a huge difference. With tourists to the area participating in the effort the campaign could have an enormous impact. Great holiday karma for adults and a great way for the kids to “earn” their ice-cream!
You could go one step further and volunteer at a local Beach Clean Up event with Mi Moana. A fum way to get involved and really help the environment.
Mi Moana is a local community and tourist initiative that fight against climate change. The organisation was started in March 2019, with the goal to reduce the worldwide pollution.
Now, almost 4 years later they have organized many clean ups, given education at schools, launched an educational program for youngsters and designed an 'I reduce plastic' certificate for establishments throughout Spain.
Maybe you can take part in a voluntary a beach clean-up? By joining in MiMoana’s events, such as voluntary beach clean-ups, you can help reduce waste and preserve the natural beauty of the Costa del Sol. A great way to do your bit and return home guilt-free.
Find out more about Mi Moana’s work at https://mimoana.org or find a beach clean up event here: https://mimoana.org/pages/events
- Shop smart, reduce traffic and donate to charity.
By choosing to have your shopping delivered by Hello Costa, you are not only saving precious holiday time spent in supermarkets – but also helping decrease the overall traffic on our roads, which in turn reduces harmful emissions and congestion.
For Hello Costa clients who have booked a two-way transfer with Hello Costa, there's an added benefit. If you find yourself with unused and unopened products at the end of your holiday, don't worry - you don't have to take them back with you. Instead, you have the option to donate these items, along with any kids toys, towels, or other purchased items that you can't take home.
Donating items will avoid extra items going to landfill and instead direct them to local charities that support underprivileged families. Your return Transfer driver can take your donations. Not only will this help those in need, but it also reduces the amount of waste that would otherwise be dumped in landfills.
So, when planning your holiday to the Costa del Sol, consider choosing Hello Costa for all your shopping needs.
The Costa del Sol is a destination that requires the participation and the effort of responsible travellers. By using the carbon footprint calculator and leaving no trace, you can contribute to preserving the natural beauty of the area. Additionally, by getting involved with organisations like Mi Moana, you can give back to the community and leave a positive impact.
Let’s work together to protect the environment and enjoy all that the Costa del Sol has to offer.