Reducing your plastic impact on holiday

Ever bought an inflatable on holiday only to leave it behind because you don’t have enough room in your suitcase? Have you abandoned it on a beach without even giving it a second thought? Did you ever stop and think about the environmental impact your flamingo or donut could be having on the ocean? Plastic pollution is a major threat, not only to our oceans, but our marine life - and it’s about time we did something about it!

In a recent survey commissioned by Thomas Cook over half of holidaymakers (53%) said they will throw away their inflatable this year. So to tackle this ever-growing problem, we’ve teamed up with the Marine Conservation Society to launch a campaign to help our holidaymakers make more environmentally friendly choices. 

But what if inflatables are a summer holiday essential? If you can't imagine your trip without these floating favourites, we're asking you to reduce, reuse, or recycle them instead. From beach clean ups to recycling facilities in hotels and passing them on to other guests - there’s so much we can change! Will you join us in reducing our plastic footprint?

For more information from the Marine Conservation Society see reduce your plastic waste on holiday, where you can download their free guide.

Below are some of the hotel chains that are doing their bit in supporting our campaign through offering inflatable recycling centres. Thomas Cook are keen to hear from other hotel groups, and private hotel owners, who want to showcase which of their hotels provide recycling facilities.