Sure, posting stories on Instagram in a bid to remember your trip is fun, but buying a good old-fashioned souvenir never hurt anyone, did it?
Well, maybe it did. Often, the magnets, umbrellas, key rings and tacky sunnies packed into souvenir shops have hardly been produced with the environment in mind.
That’s why The Most Sustainable Souvenir Shop in the World – which is its actual name – has just opened in Barcelona. Located in the heart of Ciutat Vella, at 3 Semoleres Street, this place sells city memorabilia which has been made sustainably and is run by a company called Naifactory Lab.
The stock includes jugs, crockery and lights, plus loads of other items, many of which have been made with 100 percent biodegradable materials. The company uses organic waste such as olive stones and orange peel to make souvenirs, and some are sourced as locally as from a few metres away at the Mercat de Santa Caterina.
If you want to know more about what you’re buying, each product comes with a label providing detailed information about its production.
It all sounds rather innovative, right? Here are some snaps of the goods.
Naifactory Lab’s initiative is ‘in response to the growing concern for the environmental impact of souvenirs that are mostly imported, made of low quality and unsustainable materials,’ according to co-founder Joseán Vilar.
So, it sounds like this place is taking important steps to make copping a souvenir a much greener way to remember your trip. Here are some other ways you can become a more sustainable tourist.
Did you see that this city has been named Europe’s leading sustainable tourism destination?
Plus: This is the official opening date for Time Out Market Barcelona.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.