The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, through the Biodiversity Foundation, promotes good environmental practices in beach establishments with the third edition of the “Responsible Beach Bar Awards“, whose deadline for submitting candidacies ends on September 15.

This award promotes, together with the business sector, the dissemination of good environmental practices in the activities carried out by beachfront establishments or beach bars within the framework of the “Coastal Conservation Actions” programme.

In addition to the “Responsible Beach Bar Awards”, this initiative has outstanding actions such as the “Decalogue of Good Environmental Practices” or the “Beaches, Rivers, Volunteering and Land Stewardship” Program with the aim of joining forces for the improvement and conservation of the coastline in Spain.

The “Responsible Beach Bar Awards” are aimed at all beachfront hospitality establishments that adhere to the decalogue and present actions that they have developed or are developing to improve the relationship with the environment and biodiversity.

By adhering to the decalogue, the establishments undertake to carry out actions to improve the cleanliness of the facilities and the space occupied on the beach, minimise water and energy consumption, use recyclable packaging and encourage the correct use of the facilities by users, among other actions. Likewise, the beach bars attached to the decalogue promote the dissemination of environmental values with information and awareness actions.

In this third edition, which has the collaboration of Mahou-San Miguel, the economic endowment of the prizes amounts to a total of 7,000 euros. The first prize is set at 3,000 euros, the second prize at 2,500 euros and the endowment of the third prize amounts to 1,500 euros. The rules of the awards can be consulted at  www.chiringuitosyvoluntarios.es

Nearly 600 beach bars adhering to the decalogue

Since its inception, the event has achieved a wide participation by beach hospitality establishments. In the first two editions, 140 proposals were submitted, of which 13 were selected. In the second edition, which took place in 2013, a total of 573 beach bars adhered to the Decalogue of Good Environmental Practices and 83 beach bars participated in the Awards.

The decalogue guides establishments in terms of better use of resources, pollution prevention and waste management, as well as advising them on environmental education and awareness and social responsibility.

This initiative highlights the importance of the coast in Spain, which has a length of almost 8,000 kilometres, and an important variety of ecosystems that need to be preserved. In addition, they are presented as an ideal space for the development of economic activities that generate wealth and employment that, properly ordered, can contribute to their conservation.

The objective of this project is to collaborate with companies and institutions that work through their programs or initiatives on the Spanish coast, whether seasonal or continuous, in order to establish synergies and join forces.

It is also intended to promote actions in coastal conservation by companies, which promote knowledge of the natural resources that make up the maritime public domain and the hydraulic public domain.  Likewise The creation of green jobs associated with the coastal environment and the integration of coastal conservation into business policy and management are promoted.