HONG KONG, 30 April 2018: One million plastic straws a year are among the single use plastic items that will banned on Hurtigruten ships this summer.
Specialising in exploratory arctic cruises, Hurtigruten said the ban on unnecessary single-use plastic would be effective on all sailings starting this July.
The removal of plastic items is already underway on all the cruise line’s ships.
“ We are operating in some of the world’s most pristine waters, and are witnessing the consequences of plastic pollution every single day,” said Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam.
Hurtigruten guests and crew frequently clean beaches of plastic pollution and marine litter in remote and pristine areas.
However from this July, Hurtigruten imposes a ban on all unnecessary single use plastic on the company’s ships. Skjeldam said he is hopping other cruise lines would follow.
The ban includes plastic straws, drink mixers, plastic glasses, coffee lids and plastic bags. All will be removed from all Hurtigruten ships. The goal is to become the world’s first plastic free shipping company.
At Hurtigruten, we have focused on the problem with plastic pollution for years. There is a lot of talk about the impact plastic has on our oceans. But it’s time to take action.
“By getting rid of single use plastic on board all ships this summer, we will hopefully get others to follow. It is possible to act now, and the oceans does not deserve more hesitation,” Skjeldam explained.
Plastic straws will be replaced by metal straws, stir pins will no longer be used – the same with plastic glasses wrapped in plastic, plastic cutlery, plastic bags, plastic lids on coffee cups, plastic toothpicks, plastic aprons, single-use packaging of butter and all other single-use plastic items that Hurtigruten’s 400.000 guests and 2500 employees encounter on a daily basis are on the ban list.
Every year, Hurtigruten guests and employees clean tons of plastic from beaches in the areas they operate.
“We witness the plastic pollution problem on a daily basis, and need to take action. Operating in pristine areas as we do, comes with a responsibility,” said Skjeldam.
A mind-boggling 15 metric tons of plastic ends in the world’s oceans every minute of every day. If the trend continues, this number will double in the next 10 years. This means that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans.
The single-use plastic ban will also be imposed on the hotels, restaurants and other establishments of Hurtigruten’s land based operations operated by its fully owned subsidiary Hurtigruten Svalbard.
Hurtigruten’s decision to ban single use plastic comes just a few days after announcing the largest environmental upgrade in the company’s 125 years of history. Up to nine of Hurtigruten’s ships will be retrofitted to LNG- and battery propulsion.
Hurtigruten’s plastic ban list:
Straws in bars and restaurants
Annual consumption: 960.000 pieces
Weight: appx. 2.800 kg (6200 lbs)
Plastic glasses
Annual consumption: 390.000 pieces
Weight: appx. 5000 kg (11.000 lbs)
Single-use packages of butter
Annual consumption: 826.000 pieces
Weight: appx. 826 kg (1.800 lbs)
Plastic aprons
Weight: 4.300 kg (9.500 lbs)
TTR Weekly supports companies prepared to act rather than talk on banning plastic through its editorials.
We also call on international hotel chains to take a lead and cut plastic use at thousands of hotels through their guidelines and instructions to hotel owners on branding compliance.
(If you have a story to tell on how you are acting to save the environment rather than just talking about it send it to us for publication.)
