(Photo: AP)

MADRID, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) had officially announced a Global Tourism Plastics Initiative in Madrid in a bid to reduce plastic pollution in the tourism sector.

The goals of the initiative, which was announced in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on Wednesday, are to eliminate "problematic or unnecessary" plastics by putting in place a "clear, concrete roadmap for implementation of this agenda" by 2025. local media reported..

Some 300 million tons of plastic waste is generated every year, and 60 percent of it ended up in either a landfill or the natural environment, according to a United Nations report.

Actionable commitments to reduce the production of plastic waste include transitioning from single-use to reusable alternatives, move towards 100 percent of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable and report publicly and annually on progress made towards these targets.

"Plastic pollution is one of the major environmental challenges of our time, and tourism has an important role to play in contributing to the solution," said Director of UN Environment's Economy Division Ligia Noronha.

The initiative is an ambitious project that unites more than 450 businesses, governments and others to take joint action to tackle plastic pollution.