Mauritius is ending arrival testing for fully vaccinated travellers from today. It means vaccinated travellers no longer have to take a test on arrival at their hotel. Caps on public gatherings and events have been lifted and the mask mandate is scrapped. Bars and nightclubs can reopen. Mauritius began reopening to international visitors last October and has welcomed about 500,000 visitors. Testing requirements for unvaccinated visitors will remain.

  In line with its Sustainability Management Plan, recently certified Green Globe member Sands Suites Resort & Spa Mauritius, has targeted the elimination of plastics and is comprehensively addressing food waste. The small island nation of Mauritius has limited capacity to maintain landfill volume, and waste management along with combatting plastic pollution, on land and sea, are major priorities.   Sands Suites Resort & Spa is tucked away in the most serene and sheltered spot on the west coast of Mauritius with magnificent views of Tamarin Bay and Le Morne Mountain. For the last three consecutive years, Sands Suites Resort & Spa has been awarded Mauritius Leading All Suite Resort at the World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean.   General Manager Guillaume Brillatz says, “As the world is transitioning from the linear economy towards sustainability and circularity, elimination of single-use plastics and their replacement with reusable alternatives constitute one of our main priorities. Our initiatives to protect our island home are conducted in collaboration with the local authority’s Environment Protection Regulations 2020 with a specific aim to control single use plastic products.”   To initiate its elimination of plastic, Sands Suites Resort & Spa have replaced plastic pens in guest suites with re-usable alternatives such as mini pencils which are an eco-friendly substitute. In the resort boutique, plastic bags have been replaced with paper bags and plastic gift wrapping along with plastic ribbons are no longer used.   Single use plastic bottles have also been removed from Sands Suites Resort & Spa. Today guests are offered Be Eau bottled water, an ecological packaging alternative made from plants that is kinder to the environment. Be Eau bottles are certified NFU 44-051 meaning they are 100% non-toxic and the compost generated by the bottles is ideal for use in any form of farming or agriculture. The manufacture of the bottles uses up to 80% less carbon than traditional plastic, and the bottles can be used multiple times.   For guests who prefer water served in glass bottles, Sands Suites Resort & Spa has established its own water bottling plant in collaboration with Vivreau.  The on-site bottling systems means glass bottles can be reused again and again, and at the same time, the carbon footprint for glass manufacture, transport and disposal is eliminated.   While Sands Suites Resort & Spa works diligently to reduce food waste in its food and beverage outlets, it is also focused on finding productive uses for kitchen waste and other organics. Composting of fruit and vegetable peels and leftovers, along with coffee grounds and garden material, greatly reduces waste sent to landfill while enhancing the health and vitality of the gardens.   At present due to COVID 19, the supply of food waste for animal feed has been suspended. Once re-launched, leftover food that has been checked to be hazard free for animal consumption, will be provided to local pig breeders and their ever-hungry animals.   And finally, used frying oil, which can be an environmental and health & safety risk if not disposed of properly, is collected regularly by BIOIL Ltd for conversion into second generation biofuel. For a full list of all the resort’s sustainability achievements visit Sands Suites Resort & Spa Sustainability.