Tourism

• Utilise existing infrastructure: for new tourism amenities, look first at whether existing buildings and facilities can be reused. Can an existing building be converted into a tourist information point? Can current WCs or bike racks be modified? Smart reuse reduces the demand for new materials. 

• Reuse in logistics and amenities: include conditions for sustainable packaging in tenders. Consider reusable packaging for brochures, merchandising or catering supplies. Have suppliers take back this packaging for reuse. 

• Minimal material use in design: choose designs that do not use much material. Minimalist and efficient building and interior design choices, such as modular furniture or dismantleable structures, help achieve circularity. Make sure the packaging fits the contents exactly. 

• Multi-functional solutions: opt for amenities with multiple functions, such as benches with planters or solar panels, signage that doubles as bike charging stations, or reusable modular stands for events. 

• Low-impact materials: choose materials with a minimal environmental impact. Consider recycled materials, local raw materials or materials with low carbon footprints, such as FSC wood or biobased alternatives. 

• Design for disassembly: make sure tourist amenities can be taken apart easily. That way, materials can be reused for renovation or remodelling. Modular systems can be flexibly adapted to changing needs. 

• Design for recycling: think about future use or recycling in advance. Avoid complex combinations of materials that are difficult to separate. Choose easily recyclable materials or simple fastening mechanisms. 

• Modular design: choose modular solutions for furniture, information boards or pavilions. That way, parts can be replaced or improved separately without renewing everything. That extends the service life and means that the product can be adapted to new needs. 

• Design for disassembly: make tourist amenities easy to disassemble. That promotes reuse of materials and parts. Choose screw or snap connections instead of glue, so that parts can be reused more efficiently. 

• Standardised design and updateability: choose standardised parts in signage, furniture or equipment. That way, parts can be reused in different locations. Make sure that facilities can be easily adapted to new technologies without being completely replaced. 

• Contractual take-back and reuse agreements: record in contracts that suppliers take back obsolete facilities. You then decide whether to keep them or replace them. Obsolete models can be recycled or offered as refurbished models. 

Insight into used materials: choose amenities with single-material components that are easy to separate. Avoid complex bonding or fixings. Ask suppliers for a detailed bill of materials. That provides insight into the composition and promotes reuse and recycling.