Zero Waste in Ibiza
Type: Master Thesis Project
Direction: UI/UX Design, Strategic Design
Year: 10.2020 - 03.2021
Location: University of Applied Sciences Potsdam (Germany), Ibiza (Spain)
Background: Zero Waste - an innovative waste management concept that requires products to generate no unnecessary waste at any stage of their life cycle. As a famous tourist island, Ibiza faces severe environmental pollution, for which advancing to “Zero Waste” would be a radical solution. The government and organizations in Ibiza are already making many efforts to reduce litter, but these activities are currently not working well with tourists. Therefore, I try to develop a reasonable solution with design thinking to combine tourism and environmental protection to achieve zero waste.
Current State
Ibiza receives more than three million tourists each year from May to September, over 25 times the number of residents, which means that the island has to manage an overloaded waste during this period. It was reported that plastic pollution in Ibiza‘s water is 30 times higher than the Mediterranean average.
Goal
This project aims to propose strategies for the transition of Ibiza to a Zero Waste city by studying the target MSW, Ibiza's tourism industry and stakeholders. Moreover, the final solutions should ensure the tourist experience and the tourism revenue to be maintained during the transition.
Research
Field Research
I went to Ibiza in 2019 as a volunteer and conducted field research for the project at the same time. I researched the current situation of waste pollution and waste management in Ibiza, interviewed some members of local environmental organizations, and participated in environmental activities during this time.
Data Research
In addition to field research, I went deeper into the situation with the documents on current waste management and environmental protection of Ibiza I got from the related websites and the received data on the amount of waste generated in recent years from ecological protection organizations. I also read a lot of news about local environmental protection to get to know the latest information.
Research Results
Target Multi-Solid Waste
We know from the data that Ibiza has to treat an overloaded volume of waste during the annual tourist season, which is the leading cause of multi-solid waste (MSW) pollution. Therefore, I primarily identified the waste produced by tourists in Ibiza: food waste, packaging waste, tiny multi-solid waste (TMSW) and disposable waste as the target MSW, namely the waste categories that need to be reduced/eliminated as soon as possible in the transition towards Zero Waste.
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Waste Management in Ibiza
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Non-biodegradable disposable plastic products are banned in Ibiza.
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Only biodegradable waste can be landfilled on the island; other waste categories need to be transported away.
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Several non-profit environmental organizations organize regular cleanups for the beach and ocean.
Stakeholders & Target MSW
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Tourists
In most cases, tourists passively produce waste during their stay compared to residents, depending on the products and services they can consume. However, they should take responsibility for littering (TMSW), especially outdoors, which usually results from vacation moods and hippie culture reducing tourists' environmental awareness.
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Tourism operators
Tourism operators should be responsible for the majority of waste produced on the island. Except for TMSW, the amount of the remaining waste categories and the environmental impact they cause could be reduced by using appropriate sustainable products, which depends on the tourism operation's decision. Sustainable products are generally more expensive, and tourism operators may have to take greater financial risks in advance for using or selling such products.
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Government
The government must control the process of Ibiza's environmental management from above, which means they need to focus on balancing waste reduction and the tourism industry development. One of the most urgent tasks is to expand the tourist season because many tourists gathering on the island in a short period will produce overloaded waste, which can easily lead to improper waste disposal.
Stakeholders & Waste Generation
Stakeholders' Responsibilities
Problems
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How to eliminate the target MSW?
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How to integrate the waste elimination solutions, tourist experience, and tourism development into a systematic strategy?
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How to promote the Zero Waste strategies in Ibiza?
Solution Development
Mind Map
Final Solution
Transition Stages
Solution Details
Waste Reduction
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Beverage packaging
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Tourists are required to leave disposable bottles at the airport before entering Ibiza.
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Enable drinkable tap water throughout the island by developing seawater filtration technology. Meanwhile, installing more public drinking fountains and packaging Ibiza‘s tap water as a local specialty to attract tourists to taste it.
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Tourists get reusable drinking containers through the drinking container sharing system and use them on the island.
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Other beverage categories are sold in dispensers as much as possible, with small packages of alcohol, and milk replaced with cans and Tetra Pak, and glass packaging eliminated.
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Food waste
Accommodations offer a meal reservation instead of a buffet service. Guests receive updated menus and order online before check-in, with favorable or customized meals possible. Meanwhile, other restaurants on the island could introduce this service.
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Disposable items
Tourism operators reduce or eliminate the provision of single-use products made of all materials. They are supervised by the government and must pay a corresponding tax for throwing this category of waste.
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Tiny MSW
People have access to free mini trash containers at some outdoor spots, and they will pay fines for littering outdoors.
Waste Reduction Strategies
Drink Container Sharing System
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Reusable drinking container
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Made of stainless steel
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Portable and suitable for different beverage categories
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Available in two sizes of bottles and a coffee cup shape
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The container has a built-in chip, and people are not allowed to take it off the island.
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Vending machine
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All containers are stored in a vending machine with an automatic cleaning function. People can pick up or return the container from any machine.
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The machines are located in the popular spots and hotels in Ibiza, and people can use an assistive mobile app to find them.
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Payment & Refund
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People need to pay a deposit of 10€ for the first time, after which they can choose to rent the drink container for 1€/ day or 0.25€ /time.
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Receiving refunds with the app and the users who did not pay with it will be refunded in vouchers, which can be used for spending on the island.
Travel Mobile App
The application is primarily designed to serve as an assistant for the drinking container sharing system, with which people can pay a deposit, receive refunds, check their container status, and locate container vending machines. This app will also be helpful for promoting other Zero Waste strategies. With the travel mobile app tourists will feel more convenient during their stay in Ibiza, and every little contribution they make to the environment will make the trip more meaningful.
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Features
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Assistant app for the drinking container sharing system (payment & refunds, container status, location & navigation of the container vending machines)
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Meal reservations (table reservation, meal preorder)
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Transportation rental (payment & refund, car-sharing, bicycle rental, scooter rental)
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Promotion of environmental protection (news, information about upcoming events and local waste management, etc.)
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Recommendation of new travel options (full-year party calendar, party ticket preorder, new travel option introduction, etc.)
User Flow
Final Design
