At HBX Group, we remain firmly committed to advancing responsible and sustainable tourism. Through our Sustainability Wave initiative, we continue to implement actions that combine awareness-raising, collaboration with hotel partners, and the pursuit of tangible, measurable outcomes. Hotels play a central role in this journey, as their engagement is key to reducing waste, supporting circularity, and creating lasting positive impact at destination level. 

Sustainability Waves: reducing single-use plastics and powering circular change in tourism

The Single-Use Plastics Free campaign, part of the Sustainability Waves programme, was launched to reduce the use of single-use plastics in hotels and to inspire our value chain to take part in initiatives that help address this pressing issue. The hotel industry currently generates around 289,700 tonnes of plastic waste every year, highlighting the urgent need for collective action.  

The results have been encouraging. Communications related to the campaign reached over 62,000 customers, with an open rate of 26.5%, showing strong engagement. There was also a 2.78% increase in the number of hotels on our platform identified as Single-Use Plastic Free. Today, our portfolio includes more than 6,200 hotels that meet this criterion — a milestone that reflects our partners’ growing commitment to sustainability. 

Since the implementation of the project, a noticeable reduction has been observed in the purchase and use of plastic inflatables by tourists in the area. As Renetas has gained visibility, it has also sparked a strong sense of community pride and engagement. Local residents have shown increasing support for the initiative, and several hotels—and even other regions across the island—have expressed interest in joining or replicating the project. 

The impact of Renetas is threefold: 

• Environmental: reduction of plastic waste and contribution to a Zero Waste model.
• Social: increased awareness and the creation of inclusive employment opportunities.
• Economic: support for the local circular economy, cost savings in waste management, and the development of green jobs. 

As part of our Sustainability Waves programme, HBX Group continues to spotlight initiatives that make a difference across the tourism sector. One of them is Renetas, a project developed in collaboration with the Playa de Muro Hotel Association in Mallorca. This initiative focuses on the recovery and repurposing of inflatables and mattresses from hotels, transforming them into practical and appealing items such as aprons, bags, pencil cases, toiletry bags, and decorative pieces. RENETAS is a concrete example of circular economy principles in action, demonstrating how waste can be converted into valuable resources with environmental, social, and economic benefits. 

The project aims to reduce plastic waste, raise awareness among both employees and tourists, and promote environmental education within the hospitality sector. It also supports inclusive employment through a partnership with MATER, an organisation that works with people with disabilities and those at risk of social exclusion. 

The Single-Use Plastics Free campaign has allowed us to take practical steps in reducing waste and raising awareness across our value chain. Building on this progress, RENETAS takes the next step by turning materials that would otherwise become waste into useful products, involving hotels, guests, and local communities in the process. We will continue sharing updates on these initiatives, highlighting progress and lessons learned, and encouraging further collaboration across the tourism sector.