Costa Rica’s Hotel Belmar has gotten quite a bit of “ink” on Green Lodging News and deservedly so. The latest press release posted on Green Lodging News highlights the hotel’s sustainable cuisine. The boutique property has won the Silver award at the Latin America Responsible Tourism Awards and last year launched a new carbon negative initiative that encourages guests to participate in the Offset Your Footprint program by matching all donations. The donations result in a carbon negative trip for hotel guests who choose to participate.
In the hotel’s latest blog post, it details its partnership with ECOHEROES, a program aimed at eradicating plastic waste from Costa Rica’s oceans.
“Through our partnership with ECOHEROES, we’re proud to contribute to the elimination of plastic waste that unfortunately reaches Costa Rica’s ocean waters,” the blog says. “Clean oceans are crucial for providing livelihoods to local communities and protecting our oceans from pollution, especially plastic waste, is essential for both ecological and economic health.
“Each month, we engage with ECOHEROES to compensate for our residual plastic refuse. ECOHEROES channels our monetary contribution and encourages the coastal communities of Guacalillo Beach to collect plastic from their surroundings. ECOHEROES compensates these families for their efforts, consolidates the waste, and transports it to San Jose, where a construction enterprise utilizes cutting-edge technology to transform the plastic into ‘plastic sand.’ This innovative material is then used in the production of cement blocks for construction, repurposing approximately 18 pounds of plastic each month on behalf of Hotel Belmar. What’s key about this clever approach is that the blocks effectively eliminate non-recyclable plastics from the pollution chain. As a building material, they become part of long-term projects that are sustainable and beneficial to the community.
“The benefits of this partnership are abundant, creating a win-win scenario for all involved. Local communities receive economic opportunities while enjoying cleaner waters that support fishing and overall human health. Meanwhile, Hotel Belmar continues to champion sustainability, demonstrating our commitment to turning the discarded into something of tangible value.
“With ECOHEROES, Hotel Belmar goes beyond reducing plastic waste—we’re transforming communities and building a more sustainable future, one block at a time,” the blog concludes.
