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© 2025 Island Innovation. All rights reserved.

    News

    Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

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    All ThemesCircular EconomyClimate ActionConnectivity & DigitizationCulture & CommunityEnergy & TransportGreen Finance & EconomyOcean & BiodiversityPolicy & GovernanceTourism & Remote WorkWater & Food
    Showing 9 of 105 news items in Circular Economy
    Siháho’s Composting Model Professionalises Hotel Waste Management in the South of Gran Canaria
    Circular EconomyApril 6, 2026

    Siháho’s Composting Model Professionalises Hotel Waste Management in the South of Gran Canaria

    Excerpt and Photo from [maspalomas24h.uk](https://maspalomas24h.uk/Article/10519/Sihaho-professionalizes-composting-for-hotels-in-Maspalomas--Gran-Canaria) Environmental consultancy Siháho has made a strong impact on the Canary Islands' sustainability agenda with an announcement that places Maspalomas at the heart of its expansion. Following the successful launch this week of separate organic waste collection projects in San Miguel de Abona (Tenerife) and La Bañeza (León), the firm has confirmed its intention to bring this circular management model to Gran Canaria's main tourist destination. This initiative aims to transform waste management in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, where the management of waste from large hotel producers poses the real challenge to the destination's sustainability. The choice of Maspalomas is no coincidence. The consulting firm argues that the reality of 400-room hotels in the south of the island demands a technical approach that is entirely different from conventional rural models. While other areas focus on the prevalence of homes with gardens or orchards, in Gran Canaria's tourist epicenter, the emphasis shifts to the mass production of organic food in buffets and the use of plant waste in green spaces. Siháho aims to demonstrate that these establishments, due to their size and management capacity, are key players in transforming the circular economy from a mere slogan into a profitable practice. The rollout in Maspalomas will build on the experience gained in San Miguel de Abona, where the firm already collaborates with FCC, and in La Bañeza with Acciona. The key to success lies in specialization: an organic producer in León or Galicia cannot be treated the same as a top-tier accommodation facility in southern Gran Canaria. The consultancy emphasizes that the implementation analysis must be meticulous, adapting collection and composting services to the dynamics of a region that thrives on its environmental image but generates waste on an industrial scale.

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    No Bins, No Landfills: Why The World’s First Zero-Waste Island is Going Viral
    Circular EconomyApril 6, 2026

    No Bins, No Landfills: Why The World’s First Zero-Waste Island is Going Viral

    Excerpt and Photo from [travelandtourworld.com](https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/8fj8ba7obi4e/) Tilos and the wider Dodecanese region are increasingly attracting global attention as travelers seek environmentally conscious destinations focused on sustainability, nature, and low-impact tourism. Located in the southeastern Aegean Sea between Kos and Rhodes, Tilos has developed a strong international reputation for eco-tourism, renewable energy innovation, birdlife conservation, and protected natural landscapes. Unlike heavily commercialized Mediterranean resort destinations, Tilos has deliberately focused on sustainable development while preserving its mountainous landscapes, biodiversity, and quiet island atmosphere. Tourism professionals across Europe increasingly describe Tilos as one of Greece's leading eco-tourism islands due to its commitment to renewable energy, environmental protection, and responsible tourism practices.

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    Lanzarote hosts European workshops on waste management in islands
    Circular EconomyDecember 15, 2025

    Lanzarote hosts European workshops on waste management in islands

    Excerpt from lavozdelanzarote.com The Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Canary Islands Government inaugurated this Tuesday morning on the Islote de Fermina (Arrecife) the European workshop “Waste Management on Islands: Towards a Circular Model,” organized in collaboration with the Clean Energy for EU Islands project and framed within the community initiative “30 for 2030,” which supports 30 European islands—including La Graciosa and La Palma—in their plans towards energy independence based on 100% renewable sources. For two days, public officials, companies, organizations, national and international specialists, and interested individuals will **analyze the specific challenges of island territories in terms of waste, circular economy, and sustainability**, as well as the opportunities offered by the European framework for implementing innovative and replicable solutions.

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    'Circular seabird economy' critical for ocean, islands and people
    Circular EconomyNovember 10, 2025

    'Circular seabird economy' critical for ocean, islands and people

    Excerpt from oceanographicmagazine.com New light has been cast on one of nature’s most elegant feedback loops as scientists throw the spotlight on the role of seabirds as powerful connectors between ocean and land. In a groundbreaking global synthesis published today in Nature Reviews Biodiversity, researchers from Lancaster University have revealed how these marine wanderers shuttle nutrients across ecosystems and why protecting them could be a game-changer in tackling the triple planetary crises of climate change, ocean decline, and biodiversity loss. Led by Dr Holly Jones of Northern Illinois University, the research team – featuring scientists and conservation leaders from BirdLife International, The Nature Conservancy, Lancaster University, and Island Conservation – has introduced the concept of the ‘circular seabird economy’ – a natural process by which seabirds move nutrients from sea to land and back again, driving productivity and ecological resilience across entire landscapes.

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    Caribbean biodiversity fund launches circular economy projects
    Circular EconomySeptember 24, 2025

    Caribbean biodiversity fund launches circular economy projects

    Photo credit: tvincenttimes.com Excerpt from tvincenttimes.com The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) officially launched the implementation phase of projects funded, through its Advancing Circular Economy (ACE) Facility during a three-day Grantee Award and Inception Workshop, held from August 25–27, 2025 in Miami. The CBF’s Nature-Based Economies (NbE) Program was developed to support pollution reduction efforts in the Caribbean. The ACE Facility, a key initiative under the NbE Program, promotes marine litter management across the insular Caribbean. It works with public and private sector partners, as well as regional stakeholders, to fund practical projects that apply circular economy principles to minimize and prevent waste from entering the marine environment and, where possible, remove existing marine litter. “The launch of these projects represents a pivotal moment for the Caribbean,” said Karen McDonald Gayle, CEO of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund. “It’s about sustainably investing directly in tangible solutions that will not only reduce marine pollution but also foster resilient communities and create new economic opportunities across the region.”

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    Zanzibar’s Pemba Island confronts a 230-tonne a day waste problem offering a blueprint Africa can use
    Circular EconomySeptember 2, 2025

    Zanzibar’s Pemba Island confronts a 230-tonne a day waste problem offering a blueprint Africa can use

    Excerpt from africasustainabilitymatters.com A new assessment of Pemba Island, in the Zanzibar Archipelago, has put hard numbers to a long-felt reality: the island generates more than 230 tonnes of waste every day, much of it burned in the open or dumped in informal sites. The study, led by RSK Environment (East Africa) with Lumen Associates and Patrick Matandala for the NGOs LVIA and Oikos East Africa, argues that the crisis is fixable if authorities lean into data-led planning, small-scale processing and community enterprise, a package the team has framed in a locally owned “Theory of Change.” The timing is deliberate; Pemba is one of three Tanzanian cities targeted by the European Union’s Green and Smart Cities SASA programme — a TZS 190 billion (about €75 million) Team Europe Initiative launched in 2024 to bankroll greener infrastructure and jobs. In Pemba, LVIA and Oikos have been contracted to translate that big ticket into block-and-tackle improvements in how waste is collected and treated.

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    St. Kitts and Nevis Steps Closer to Single-Use Plastic Ban with Multi-Agency Support
    Circular EconomyMarch 17, 2025

    St. Kitts and Nevis Steps Closer to Single-Use Plastic Ban with Multi-Agency Support

    St. Kitts and Nevis is advancing its phased ban on single-use plastics with collaborative efforts across multiple government agencies and support from the business community. Hon. Dr Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, expressed gratitude to the media, consumers, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and other business entities for supporting the government’s ban of single-use t-shirt shopping bags. Legislative and Collaborative Support Minister Clarke emphasised that the transition requires more than just governmental intention, highlighting the necessity of supporting legislation. “We recognise that the shift requires more than just government saying what its intention is, but legislation also needs to support the single-use plastic ban. And so, the Attorney General has confirmed that we will have a plastic regulation bill ready for the ban. The Minister of Trade will also be presenting to us and to the nation the international standards for biodegradable alternatives that all retailers and wholesalers can access to purchase the biodegradable options for importing to St. Kitts and Nevis.”

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    How Africa’s smallest nation is cleaning up its waste and energy sectors
    Circular EconomyFebruary 19, 2025

    How Africa’s smallest nation is cleaning up its waste and energy sectors

    In the azure waters of the Indian Ocean lies Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands. While being the smallest country in Africa in terms of land area, Seychelles serves as a strong voice for small island states through its environmental stewardship and sustainable development initiatives. Seychelles is facing numerous challenges relating to the triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change; the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss; and the crisis of pollution and waste. To address these, the country has remained steadfast in its commitment to environmental conservation through its partnership with the [United Nations Environment Programme](https://www.unep.org/who-we-are/about-us) (UNEP) since 2002. Seychelles regularly contributes to UNEP’s core [Environment Fund](https://www.unep.org/about-un-environment-programme/funding-and-partnerships/environment-fund?_ga=2.27928575.298943202.1713110845-819168951.1689366334), the organization’s main source of flexible funding and the bedrock of its work on the triple planetary crisis. “The programmes that UNEP has been operating over the past years have really contributed to the success of Seychelles that we see today,” said Flavien Joubert, Seychelles’ Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment. “We expect that with time, we will continue to evolve in our relationship with UNEP and cover all areas, even those that traditionally we haven’t.”

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    Sustainability reimagined: NUS students get creative in building a more eco-conscious society
    Circular EconomyFebruary 12, 2025

    Sustainability reimagined: NUS students get creative in building a more eco-conscious society

    Excerpt and Photo from news.nus.edu.sg Sustainability is a shared commitment that requires everyone to take personal responsibility for the planet. NUS students are encouraged to foster ground-up projects and partake in community initiatives to promote a sustainability mindset and sustainable practices across campus and among the next generation. With hostelites spending much of their time on campus, making sustainable living both accessible and engaging is essential. From island-hopping excursions and food rescue operations to swapping fashion items, discover how students from various NUS hostels are learning and inspiring their peers to embrace a sustainable lifestyle! **Pioneer House** At the heart of [Pioneer House’s (PH)](https://nus.edu.sg/osa/pioneerhouse) ethos lies a fundamental belief in the power of humanity. To this end, one of PH’s core values is promoting frugality and sustainable living as part of a broader effort to remind residents that they can do their part to contribute meaningfully to the House and the wider community. A [Frugality and Sustainable Living Subcommittee](https://nus.edu.sg/osa/pioneerhouse/residential-life/frugal-and-sustainability) comprising 17 like-minded students, led by undergraduate Prisha Ramesh Babu, oversees the planning of different initiatives to promote sustainable living among the PH community. “Our efforts centre on introducing sustainable practices and habits that residents can adopt, while also encouraging a deeper connection with nature. By planning innovative and engaging events, we aim to transform sustainability into an inspiring and enriching aspect of community life!” said Prisha, a Year 2 [Chemical Engineering](https://cde.nus.edu.sg/chbe/) undergraduate.

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