Packed with history, natural beauty, and glorious weather, it’s no surprise that Tunisia is a hit with tourists. However, despite the amazing architecture and vast fields filled with olive trees, during my recent visit to the country, it was clear to see that Tunisia has a serious litter problem, and residents are not happy.
*Tunisia certainly wasn’t all bad. Check out my post Being Thrifty In Tunisia for photos of the amazing sights we saw*
That wasn’t in the brochure…
Far too many stunning houses decorated with mosaics, flowers, and brightly coloured balconies were ruined by the piles of rubbish and debris that littered the pavement outside. Olive trees were often draped in plastic bags or old clothes. Stray kittens would lie in the boiling sun next to takeaway wrappers and what looked like dirty nappies.
People do care
Refuse is a hot topic among the Tunisian public. Litter has begun to dominate the country’s towns, cities and countryside, and as a result, citizens aren’t happy about it. Last year a social media selfie campaign - #SelfiePoubella - was introduced to highlight the problem. The primary cause seems to be landfill sites that are overflowing. And while some sites separate the waste they receive, in others it is dumped together, leaving nearby residents stuck with the stench of chemical, industrial, household and medical waste.
The good news is that while individuals are taking selfies amongst the litter to highlight the problem, many businesses are doing what they can to be sustainable too.
Our eco-friendly hotel
During mine and Jake’s recent visit to the country, we stayed at the Scheherazade Hotel in Sousse. The Scheherazade is just one of many companies in Tunisia that is doing what it can to keep waste from landfill…and fields. Reducing litter wasn’t its only focus, and it seemed pretty passionate about being green in general.
For example, upon arrival we found a small card in our bathroom explaining that, rather than replacing guests’ towels daily, the maids would only provide guests with clean towels when requested. If a maid entered a room and the towels were in the bath, they’d replace them. If the towels were hung up to dry, they’d leave them be. As the card in the photo below explains, we don’t use fresh towels every day at home, so do we really need to when we’re on holiday?
While hotels can’t police their guests’ eco-friendliness, the Scheherazade did a great job of providing plenty of recycling spots dotted around the hotel to encourage guests to put their rubbish in the right place.
The hotel wasn’t the only one to benefit from its eco-friendly behaviour, there were numerous thrifty opportunities for guests to save money and celebrate a freebie or two. On a table in the lobby was a box filled with unwanted toiletries which had been donated by guests about to head home with overflowing suitcases. Not only did this mean people could lighten their luggage at the end of their stay, they’d also be doing a good deed by passing their unwanted sun creams and shampoos onto someone else.
When I got sunburnt towards the end of my stay, the Factor 50 I unearthed from the ‘Sharing is Caring’ box proved to be an absolute life saver.
There was also a small library where guests could donate books and magazines they had finished reading. Imagine my delight when I spotted this magazine for first time buyers. What a match made in heaven!
Seeing as the hotel made such an effort to be eco-friendly, it really made me think twice about being wasteful myself. I was certainly no goody two shoes during my stay though. Far too often I found myself feeling a pang of guilt as our waiter collected our plates to find that I’d been unable to finish my whole meal. Jake’s always telling me off for having eyes bigger than my belly and leaving leftovers, and this holiday highlighted my annoying habit even more! This is definitely something I need to act upon when I get home.
I know that it can be really difficult to get a true understanding of a country during a short holiday, and so if you’ve been to Tunisia or live there yourself, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’d also love to hear from others who have stayed in eco-friendly hotels before. Leave me a comment below or send me a tweet @CantSwingACat.
Photo credits:
Recycling bins. Can’t Swing A Cat.
Cat with litter. Nadja Varga. (Tunesien album).
Towel card. Can’t Swing A Cat
