How Are Cruise Lines Turning The Plastic Tide?

I’ve been watching the news and reading disturbing articles regarding the devastating environmental damage caused by plastic products. We have been given warnings for years  mainly unheeded.  But it seems we are now seeing the result of our ‘throwaway’ lifestyles making a huge impact on our planet.  Our  Oceanic marine life especially is taken a huge hit and affecting their ability to survive in our plastic world.  I think since David Attenborough’s award winning programme Blue Planet 2 so eloquently highlighted this growing problem, it has remained in the public eye, and in our conscious thinking. At long last.

Did you know for instance that around  75% of litter in the sea is plastic and this is having a direct impact on wildlife. From turtles suffocating on plastic bags and cotton buds, seabirds being poisoned, to fish swallowing  fatal amounts of  tiny plastic micro-particles.   I saw on the news recently, these plastic micro-particles have even reached literally, the ends of the earth, in both the Arctic & Antarctic Regions. With as much as 80% of tourism in coastal areas, the impact of the voluminous amounts of plastic in the worlds oceans  will affect future generations. Unless of course we become more proactively aware and do our bit, however small, to  save our planet.  Its clear that plastic has now become a global problem , with no part of the world being left untouched.

So what are the cruise lines doing to alleviate our love affair with plastic?

NCL’s Frank Del Rio recently released this statement:

P&O & Cunard as well as other Carnival UK lines have committed to removing single-use plastics from their ships by 2022.

Royal Caribbean have pledged to eliminate single use plastics from 38 of their ships, including their latest ship, Symphony of the Seas.

Hurtigruten are actively encouraging its guests to join beach clean ups along its coastlines.

Its a start, but more cruise lines need to ‘Climb Aboard’ and be seen to be making an impact.

We have an event here in Marbella for next weekend, calling for volunteers to help clean the beaches, of rubbish, mainly plastic bottles, bags, and straws. So a few of my friends and I will be joining in, doing our bit for the environment.  In the hopes that moving forward,  everyone can enjoy the beaches, and be comforted in the knowledge that the marine life will not suffer from our ignorance and laziness.

Lets do our bit, however small, to reduce single-use plastic and save our world.  Go Organic!   Buy wooden toothbrushes, cotton buds, straws, bin liners, napkins, anything which is re-usable.

Thank you for reading.

Gina