By Nieves Rey, director of Communication and Marketing of Ecoembes. Salted skin after the bathroom in the sea; the smell of freshly cut fruit; Taking an outdoor appetizer … summer – and vacations – are very necessary pause for all of us, a parenthesis in our routine that helps us reconnect with ourselves: getting up less hurriedly from the usual, discovering landscapes marked on the map, trying new flavors, walking barefoot, forgetting the clock … It is time of reunions, of sunsets, of beaches, mountains and towns that smell like tradition. We change rhythm, scenarios and customs.
The holidays are the perfect time to reaffirm ourselves in our values, in being an example before the look of our children or brothers, before the attentive ear of a friend … precisely, in the midst of that disconnection, there are daily gestures that should not disappear. On the contrary: they acquire even more sense. Because the landscapes that fall in love also need to be protected, and take care of our environment today will allow us to enjoy it tomorrow.
Therefore, there are habits that should not depend on where we are, but who we are, as is the case with recycling. In Ecoembes we have been working for more than 25 years to bring this habit to Spanish houses, to raise awareness about the importance of seeing waste as resources. That message has been gradually stating, and already There are many households that declare to have more than three cubes To separate your waste.
Recycle has become part of our routine, such as turning off the light or closing the tap, and summer should not be an exception time. Even more in our country, than During this season he receives millions of visitors. Waste management is essential, not only to preserve, but also to serve as an example. If as a society we bet on a responsible attitude, those who visit us perceive it. We can encourage tourists to continue recycling, if they already did, or join this habit, if they had not yet incorporated it.
We have More than 600,000 yellow and blue containers To recycle, with more than 53,000 points to continue separating our waste wherever we go and, in addition, there are more and more accommodations and destinations that share with us, Ecoembes, that the only possible future is one in which there are no waste. The commitment exists: we only need to look with intention and understand that recycling is also a way of practicing responsible tourism.
However, the opposite, unfortunately, it is also happening. The images of beaches full of garbage after celebrations like San Juan’s night They show us that enjoying cannot be synonymous with dirty. The environmental impact of our decisions does not disappear with the tide, and the challenge of minimizing our footprint, especially in protected spaces, challenges us all. It is there where environmental education plays a fundamental role, reminding us that both children and adults have much to learn, and apply, about the protection of our environment.
Now, environmental awareness is not limited to recycling. It extends to everything we do. Reuse the objects last summer before buying thoughtlessly. Bet on the local product, choose reusable options, leave the car parked … ultimately, Think in a global key, in the futureand not only in the now no matter how.
Reducing, reusing and recycling are concepts that should not go on vacation, they have to accompany us wherever we go and be the time. Therefore, another summer we change from air, landscapes and routine, but we retain the attitudes that define and inspire us. Change the station, but not the commitment. Change everything, so that nothing changes.