Raratonga from the sky: the capital of the Cook Islands.
In the Pacific Ocean are the cook islands , a paradise made up of 15 islands of white sand, crystal clear waters, palm trees, tropical weather and sun. The call New Zealand Polynesia Is here. Its capital, Raratonga, is one of the best known, as well as the aitutaki island , whose lagoon is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
Any downside to this magical place? If he plastic and the management of their own waste. As in most tropical islands, the amount of plastics generated exceeds the capacity of landfills and the resources to be able to recycle them . For this reason, in June 2019 a new decree was signed in all the islands as single-use plastics were prohibited. That was the first step towards sustainability.
"The importation of consumer goods non biodegradable is becoming an increasing burden on the Cook Islands economy, human health and environment," Parliament told Cook Islands News.
"This burden is evidenced by the increasing amount of non-biodegradable waste that is increasing in landfills, in roadside ditches and in streams, burning it and dumping it into the ocean where it is a threat to ocean life," they added.
Since then, different private and public initiatives have been carried out to recycle plastic containers and** make the transition from plastics to other recyclable products such as glass**.
It is the case of Turama Pacific Travel Group , the leading tourism company in the Cook Islands, which has launched a water bottling project in the Rarotonga Island , and thus promote the objectives of sustainability so characteristic of the archipelago.
With this initiative, more than** 200,000 plastic bottles per year** will be prevented from ending up in the landfill of Rarotonga, one of its main islands and a claim by travelers seeking to live an experience in paradise. And it adds to the objectives of the Cook Islands, which they want to achieve by 2020, which all its energy comes from 100% renewable sources.
A paradise that they want to preserve for posterity.
How does it work? Very simple,** all visitors will receive a reusable aluminum water bottle to avoid the use of plastic bottles**. The bottling station, established in the area of Nikao , will prevent travelers from buying plastic bottles and instead will encourage them to purchase the reusable aluminum bottle to give it more than one life.
And to ensure the quality of the water, it will go through the ozone treatment method, thanks to which 99.9% of bacteria and germs are eliminated, guaranteeing its potability . It will be in this same ozone treatment plant in Turama House where the bottles will be disinfected and cleaned.
"Turama House in Nikao has made filtered and UV-treated water available in the building and for staff to take home for about 16 years ", they underline from their proud website.
The road to this point has not been easy, as stated by the Turama Pacific Travel Group, which has been proposing alternatives to single-use plastics for five years until it finds the most suitable one.
A paradise that they want to preserve for posterity.