Tourist islands generally face significant challenges with waste management, especially due to dumps and a lack of awareness. Boipeba Island, in Bahia, is a clear example of this issue. Waste management on the island poses a major difficulty for public administration and receives little attention from the local population, resulting in a growing dump that contaminates the groundwater and rivers, already affecting some tourist spots. This study aims to provide an analysis of the local reality and investigate solutions based on positive and negative cases worldwide, as well as how investments in sustainability can boost tourism. The field research, which included semi-structured interviews and technical visits, revealed a lack of significant demand for improvements, either due to ignorance or disinterest. Without this demand, public management does not prioritize solving the problem. However, there are ways to raise awareness among the population and initiate improvements. The proposed recommendations, based on different cases and the literature, encompass impact management through prevention, mitigation, and fostering and incentives, considering the carrying capacity for local territorial planning. The research demonstrates that effective waste management, as part of a sustainability strategy, can not only improve the environmental quality and life of the local population but also enhance the economic and competitive benefits of the tourist destination. Therefore, the outlined strategies aim to transform waste management into a competitive advantage for Boipeba Island.