Green is the New Blue: working toward more sustainable communities

May 31, 2022

4 Min read

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Sabine Hansen Peck

Senior Vice President, People, Culture, Communication & Brand, Amadeus

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A thriving community isn’t just environmentally sustainable, it’s socially sustainable too. Ever since our Green is the New Blue movement was born in 2019, we’ve been focused on efforts that make the world a healthier and cleaner place, as well as involve and benefit people in the communities where we live, work and travel.

As part of this year’s campaign, we’ve signed a global partnership withPlastic Bank to fund the collection of over 100,000 kilograms of plastic from coastal areas to stop ocean plastic.

How Amadeus will empower coastal communities with Plastic Bank

Did you know that one garbage truck full of plastic enters the oceanevery minute ?If we continue at the current pace, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. To do our part, Amadeus is collaborating with an exciting new partner called Plastic Bank,to support ethical collection communities in the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, and Egypt. Collection community members collect ocean-bound plastic and exchange it for life improving benefits (such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance). Since Plastic Bank was founded in 2013, it has empowered local communities to stop over 50 million kilograms of plastic from entering the ocean.

In 2022, Amadeus will fund the collection and recycling of over 100,000 kilograms of plastic: that’s approximately the equivalent of one plastic bottle per employee per day for a full year*

By offering safe, secure, and traceable sources of income in exchange for plastic, we’re enabling collection community members to have an additional income and improve their quality of life. Finally, the recycled plastic will be reborn as Social Plastic®™ feedstock and used in the production of products and packaging – thus helping create a circular economy.

This is just one of the ways that Amadeus is working to scale up our long-term commitment towards a more sustainable travel and tourism industry.

Achievements to celebrate with Green is the New Blue

Each year, when we plan how to enhance the positive impact of our Green is the New Blue movement, I’m occasionally overcome with the task ahead. There is no simple solution to the environmental challenges we face but every year I’m reminded that with each small step we take together, we can make a real difference. This is the third edition of Green is the New Blue, and we already have lots to celebrate. Here's a look at what we’ve achieved so far:

In 2019, Green is the New Blue launched with a#plasticfree office. Almost 7,000 Amadeus employees around the world committed to using reusable cups and bottles to cut downon plastics. But that’s not all: they reduced paper use and electricity, organized ocean clean ups, biked and carpooled to work, reduced food waste, and found all sorts of creative ways to make the planet a cleaner and healthier place.
In 2021, after a short hiatus because of COVID-19, we went a step further andplanted over 16,000 trees in the Amazon Rainforest on behalf of our employees. We continue our partnership with Saving the Amazon, which employs indigenous communities to plant trees in the Amazon region. In this edition, over 8,000 employees engaged in the Green is the New Blue movement.
In 2022, we’re partnering with Plastic Bank and will continue to encourage Amadeus colleagues, teams and sites to create a positive impact on the environment whether that’s through cycling to work or developing business solutions that promote sustainable travel.

Amadeus has a long-term commitment towards supporting the travel and tourism industry to become more responsible, inclusive and sustainable. This year, Green is the New Blue aligns with the United Nations’ World Environment Day's theme, #OnlyOneEarth, which calls for collective, transformative change in policies and choices on a global scale - to celebrate, protect and restore our planet.

The growing strength and success of Green is the New Blue is thanks in large part to our employees’ efforts. I’m proud of our team, and I’m grateful for all that they do.

Join me and my Amadeus colleagues in sharing on social media how you’ve participated in #GreenistheNewBlue in recent years or how you intend to participate this year. There’s #OnlyOneEarth, so let’s come together to help make our planet a cleaner place for all!

*Amadeus will prevent the equivalent of 365 plastic bottles on behalf of each of their employees, in collaboration with Plastic Bank. This is based on permanent staff as per Amadeus’ 2021 Annual Report

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