Tourist businesses affiliated with the Chamber of Tourism of Osa (CATUOSA) have signed a pledge to eliminate the use of plastic containers, bags and other plastic disposable items in shops, bars and restaurants in the Osa Peninsula region in southern Costa Rica.
Companies plan to substitute single-use plastics and styrofoam packages like utensils, cups, plates, straws and bags for biodegradable items made from bamboo, cloth, starches, cereals, hemp, and other eco-friendly materials.
The move by Costa Rica’s southern Pacific businesses serves as an “example of a sustainable community effort for the world,” said Minister of Environment and Energy Edgar Gutiérrez, who attended the event. The minister said he would present the initiative to the United Nations in order to raise awareness of efforts to eliminate plastics globally.
This is an excerpt from an article originally published by the Costa Rica Star.