As global movements help to highlight the growing problem of plastics in the world’s oceans, resorts – including Constance Lemuria in The Seychelles – are also stepping up and taking action.
Sustainability Manager, Mersiah Rose, says a number of proactive measures to reduce plastic use at the island resort have been taken, including eradicating single-use plastic bottles in favour of refillable drinking water bottles.
Now, they are ramping up their conservation efforts by engaging their guests and generating greater awareness.
“When we say zero plastic, what do we mean? We mean the reduction of plastic in the country itself, but also we want guests to carry that back with them to their countries.
“Increasingly, small islands are suffering with plastic and marine pollution – this is our chance to strike a spark in our guests so that when they go back to their own country they remember the small islands that need their help to reduce plastic.
“It’s not just for the island or for the country, it’s for the whole planet.”
Some facts to consider:
- Around 380 million metric tons of plastic are being produced yearly 
- Approximately 91% of plastic is not recycled 
- About 1.2 million plastic bottles are being used per minute
Also affected by plastic pollution are the ocean’s inhabitants.
Constance Lemuria’s Turtle Manager monitors the island’s endangered hawksbill and green turtle populations that return to the quiet beaches on Praslin to lay their eggs.
Every year, between October and February, resort guests have the unique opportunity to watch the female turtles come up onto the beach to lay their eggs and later see the baby turtles hatch and move down to the sea.
“This is a special moment for our guests, they get to see such a beautiful thing which gives them a feeling that we are really doing something for our island and conservation,” added Mersiah Rose.
Watch Mersiah Rose’s interview in full and discover how European Tour Destinations venues are leading the way on sustainability in this new feature, ‘A sustainable future for golf’