Assessing the potential, effectiveness and implementation challenges of beach and tourism ecolabels for beach macrolitter reduction

Abstract

Abstract There is an urgent need to address the contribution of mass tourism to coastal litter generation, however, identifying effective, context-specific measures to reduce listed litter remains challenging. This study evaluated 142 beach and tourism ecolabels against a list of 43 litter reduction measures to assess their potential and effectiveness as tools for beach macrolitter reduction. A total of 24 ecolabels addressed litter, applicable in different countries. Ecolabels included 7–53% of litter reduction measures, with only two ecolabels exceeding 50%. Benefits and challenges of ecolabel implementation were explored taking Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt as case study areas, and considered aspects like current ecolabel implementation, state of pollution, and ecolabel acceptance by managers and beachgoers. Moroccan beaches showed the lowest pollution levels, which may coincide with national efforts on beach litter reduction programs and/or Blue Flag implementation, mandated by the government. Nevertheless, limited spatio-temporal data restricts definitive conclusions in regards to ecolabel effectiveness. In general, ecolabels present limitations to address and reduce the ubiquitous presence of beach macrolitter. They fail to prioritize most effective measures to address top litter items, act at a limited spatio-temporal scale, and focus on criteria compliance rather than environmental outcomes. We recommend ecolabels should (1) integrate effective and context-specific measures informed by local litter monitoring data, (2) include litter thresholds in line with international legislation to assess litter reduction over time, (3) include short-term, low-effort actions as well as support long-term policy strategies, (4) incorporate indices to monitor progress, and (5) engage stakeholders with different backgrounds in ecolabel implementation.