End Plastics
Travel, Tourism, and Trash: Greece’s Battle with Plastic Pollution
June 24, 2025
Plastic is woven into the fabric of our daily lives, from food packaging and personal care products to our polyester carpets, curtains and clothing. So much so that the very device you are reading this article on will eventually end up in our landfills, and our legacy.
Even when we seek to escape our everyday routines through travel, plastic often accompanies us, leaving a lasting mark on the places we visit. The tourism industry, particularly reliant on single-use products like disposable water bottles, food containers, and vanity kits, significantly contributes to this issue. While these disposable items reduce operational burdens for hotels and resorts, they lead to mountains of trash at popular tourist destinations that don’t disappear when the tourists leave.
It’s All Greek to Me
Take Greece for example, with its picturesque islands, ancient ruins, and crystal-clear beaches, it attracted over 32 million tourists in 2023. So it’s no surprise that tourism contributed significantly to Greece’s economy, bringing in nearly €20.5 billion in 2023 and accounting for 20% of the country’s GDP.
However, beneath the country’s beauty and thriving tourism industry, the environmental crisis of plastic pollution is all too real. Most of the plastic waste in Greece will end up in landfills, and some of it is exported to other countries like Bulgaria, which took 48,000 tons of Greek plastic trash in 2022, a figure that had doubled since 2020.
Within Greece, around 700 thousand tonnes of plastic is produced and used each year. With a high capacity garbage truck holding 15 tons, that’s enough to fill about 51,000 trucks annually. Picture an endless line of garbage trucks, packed with plastic waste. If each truck dumped its load onto the beaches in Greece, thousands of shorelines would be buried in plastic.
With tourists traveling to Greece for its crystal clear water and sun-filled coastlines, the plastic pollution is threatening the very experiences that draw travelers there in the first place.
The Plastic Mediterranean
There are an estimated 626 million pieces of litter floating in European seas, with the Mediterranean Sea holding the highest concentration. This sea serves as a key part of Greece’s coastal ecosystem because of its high biodiversity and diverse habitats, which species rely on. Unfortunately, the plastic accumulation is only exacerbated by the semi-enclosed nature of the sea.
In the Mediterranean, plastic directly impacts the local wildlife, especially endangered species like the loggerhead sea turtle and the short-beaked common dolphin. In fact, 134 faunal species are threatened by plastic consumption in this pollution hotspot.
Wildlife Pay the Price
In 2015, 400 million tonnes of plastic was produced globally. By 2050, around 12 million metric tonnes will end up in our environment and landfills. The consequences of these plastics within our ocean are deadly. Marine animals like those in the Mediterranean mistake plastic pieces for food, leading to ingestion, internal injuries, or even starvation when their stomachs become full of plastic trash that, of course, contains no nutrients.
It has been estimated that there are 21,000 pieces of plastic polluting our oceans for every single human being alive. Gradually this plastic trash breaks down into smaller fragments the size of a grain of rice, known as microplastics, which are ingested by marine life and infiltrate the food-chain, impacting human health as well as they accumulate in consumed marine animals.
Moreover, entanglement within larger pieces of debris can drown turtles, whales, and dolphins, immobilizing wildlife. One hundred million marine creatures and birds die every year from plastic trash in our oceans and abandoned ghost fishing nets.
The Plastic Pushback
While the islands of Samos and Paros are making headway against the pollution, these success stories stand in contrast to other parts of the country, where plastic pollution remains a struggle. Every year, Santorini sees 3.4 million tourists, while Mykonos and cruise ships bring in another 1.5 and 1.2 million, respectively. Unfortunately, these popular destinations lack the necessary waste management infrastructure to properly dispose of all the plastic waste tourism generates.
With this, the country buries almost 80% of its trash, twice the EU average, and recycling plants throughout the country only have the resources to properly recycle and sort through a sixth of the waste they receive. As a result, the waste gets funneled into the oceans, soil, and land throughout Greece, hurting the environment even further.
Addressing the problem of plastic pollution requires a multi-layered approach, one grounded in science but supported by policy and the community at large. Possible strategies have a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, infrastructure investment. Enhancing waste management and collection systems throughout Greece, but particularly on islands. This could include expanding its capacity and improving logistics. Second, behavioral changes. Signage, incentives, and green certifications like LEED certification can impact consumer behavior, which could reduce plastic use.
And last but not least is education. Local communities and tourists should be made acutely aware of the problem at hand and be invited to be part of the solution. Incorporating signage throughout islands and beach destinations about proper trash disposal, plastic alternatives, and teaching environmental education in all schools, will go a long way in educating the public and encourage behavior change.
It’s Not Unique to the Greek
Plastic pollution is not a challenge unique to Greece, it reflects a broader pattern of unsustainable production and consumption that has placed ecosystems worldwide in a vulnerable state. Yet this crisis also presents an opportunity. By adopting evidence-based practices, Greece can lead the Mediterranean region in building a tourism model that balances environmental stewardship with economic success.
Moving away from convenience-driven habits toward sustainable, science-informed strategies is essential. A more responsible future is within reach, one where travelers and local communities work together to reduce plastic waste and protect the natural beauty of places like Greece for generations to come.
While it’s on your mind, check out our article Turning the Tide on Plastic Pollution to learn how a new bill could help encourage recycling in Washington, D.C.
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