This World Oceans Day, Coco Collection Maldives is proud to announce Coco Dreams Green, our new initiative to reduce our consumption of single-use plastic.

8 million tonnes of plastic are thrown into our oceans every year, killing marine life, and entering the human food chain. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, if current rates of pollution continue, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by the year 2050.

As part of Coco Collection's commitment to protecting and nurturing our environment, we are pledging to increase our sustainability efforts by significantly reducing the amount of single-use plastic on all our properties, including at our corporate office. Our long-term goal is to bring the amount of single-use plastic on our islands to zero.

Coco Cares is our existing commitment to the practice of sustainable behaviours such as the use of biodegradable straws, as well as the banning of plastic bags on our resorts. Most in-villa toiletries are bought in bulk and supplied to guests in refillable glass bottles. All our properties conduct a monthly island clean-up programme, to clean the beaches, reefs, and lagoons of non-biodegradable debris. We also have a drinkable water production and glass bottling plant at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu.

In 2015, Coco Collection announced our official partnership with the Olive Ridley Project, a UK charity whose mission is to remove discarded fishing nets- known as ghost nets- from the ocean, and to rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles injured by these nets. As part of this partnership, we opened a Marine Turtle Rescue Centre at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, where 23 turtles were treated within the first 6 months of its opening. Our Resident Marine Biologist also works closely with the Olive Ridley Project to remove ghost nets from our seas, and to conduct an awareness and education programme for guests, staff, and local schoolchildren to teach the dangers of plastic pollution and the importance of protecting marine life. 

With the launch of Coco Dreams Green, we are determined to concentrate our efforts to reduce plastic on our properties, and as such are introducing more stringent policies with regards to guest services, facilities, and amenities; services and facilities provided to our associates; and our education and outreach programmes.

Some of these new policies include the use of paper straws in all outlets instead of biodegradable plastic, as this plastic breaks down into microplastics which is deadly to marine life and detrimental to our own health. We are also replacing in-villa amenities with those made from natural materials, such as wooden toothbrushes and cotton buds made without plastic. With regards to associates areas, we are introducing large water dispensers in the associates village and office areas at the resorts, instead of using plastic water bottles. Our current sustainability and marine conservation awareness and outreach programmes for guests and staff will now place a special focus on the issue of plastic pollution.

Coco Collection has also partnered with environmental non-profit organisation Parley for the Oceans, to regularly collect all plastic generated at our properties to then be upcycled into materials to make new products for companies across the globe.

Coco Dreams Green is the continuation of our lifelong commitment to environmental and social sustainability, and we are always dreaming of a cleaner, greener future.