| dc.description.abstract | Plastics are materials consisting of synthetic or semi-synthetic organics commonly made from
petrochemicals. Since they are relatively low cost, impervious to water, and versatile, plastic products are widely
used in virtually all departments of the hospitality industry. However, plastic pollution emanating from their use
has negative impacts that has lead to alterations of habitats, natural processes, and life support systems, thereby
reducing the various ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change. This has directly affected millions of people’s
sustainable livelihoods, food security capabilities, and social-economic well-being.
The discussion on the effect of plastic on planet Earth has been ongoing and there is no doubt that the
management of plastics effects on the environment should be a priority in every sector (Aragaw, &
Mekonnen, 2021; de Sousa, 2021and Bucci, et al., 2020). This may have informed the choice of the 2023 World
Environment Day theme: Solutions to plastics pollution.
The studies by Mejjad, et al., 2023; Maione, 2021 and Camilleri-Fenech , et al., (2020) confirmed that the
tourism and hospitality industry is a major consumer and generator of plastics right from the front office, guest’s
rooms, and kitchen and conference area. In Kenya just like many other tourist destinations, there have been
campaigns on plastics reduction and management and previous studies show that many establishments have
adopted some plastics management policies while others as still struggling (Behuria, 2021).
This study intends to document the success of plastics reductions in the accommodation sectors in
Kenya and share the findings with the body of knowledge. As the visitors get educated about their plastic
footprint, most of them have adopted the responsible traveler’s code of ethics while others have adopted the ecotourism principles putting more pressure on service providers to reduce plastics used. A term like “no plastics
conference” is now common in the tourism industry. This study aimed to assess the extent to which
accommodation facilities in Kenya have managed to reduce plastic usage in the front office, dining areas, rooms,
and conference facilities post the COVID-19 era. It also sought to investigate plastics management measures
adopted by the industry. | en_US |
