How Is Ibiza Tackling Pollution?

According to statistics released by the Ibiza Preservation Fund (IPF), the small Spanish island is responsible for half a tonne of waste per person per year. That figure is 14% higher than the European average and double the amount generated by residents living all across Spain, provoking concern about environmentally damaging habits in Ibiza.

Of course, the fact that the island receives in excess of four million tourists every year is one explanatory factor, but it doesn’t mean that Ibiza residents and visitors alike don’t need to clean up their act. Fortunately, those who live and work on the island are already introducing several measures to tackle the issue at its root cause.

Phasing out plastic

The dangers of microplastics are well-documented, and with the average Ibiza nightclub going through around 400,000 single-use plastic bottles and roughly as many straws on a yearly basis, it’s clear that this issue is core to Ibiza’s environmental difficulties.

Cognisant of that fact, the IPF have introduced a plastic-free star rating system, which awards nightclubs stars on the basis of their efforts to bring down single-use plastic consumption. One of the oldest and biggest clubs on the island, Pacha, have already signed up to the scheme and gained their first star and its organisers hope others will soon follow suit. The overall goal is to eliminate single-use plastics altogether by 2023.

Meanwhile, environmentally aware performers are also taking steps to curb their plastic footprint. DJ and producer Blond:ish is a prominent campaigner on sustainability issues within the music business and her Bye Bye Plastic group is encouraging other professionals in the industry to forego plastics when requesting food and drink for their DJ booths and backstage areas.

Raising awareness

Blond:ish has also tried to raise awareness among her fellow DJs about the carbon footprint that their constant travelling inflicts on the environment. With in-demand performers often playing on a daily basis in different cities around the world, the number of flights they take can soon add up. She advocates offsetting their carbon emissions with financial payments into environmental schemes, which can help to alleviate the worst effects of their travel.

Meanwhile, although the largest changes must come from the industry itself, there is still a massive responsibility on the shoulders of individual tourists to the island. Simple measures such as reusing items as much as possible and recycling all plastics they consume can go a long way to reducing the strain on Ibiza’s coastlines, helping to preserve the paradisiacal nature of the place for future generations.

Aside from plastic, a recent study has revealed that food waste in tourism is a bigger issue than previously thought. As such, there is an onus on the four million visitors to Ibizan shores every year – among them, around one million Britons – to ensure they only purchase food they intend to consume and minimise waste as much as possible.