Plastic is Not Fantastic

I was watching the Princess Documentary this week in Alaska and it was good to see the crew policing the use of plastic straws on the open decks when the ship was in Glacier Bay as they are one of the biggest causes of debris and pollution in our oceans and are difficult to recycle

The average American uses disposable plastic utensils at an average rate of 1.6 straws per person per day. Based on national averages, this equates to each person in the U.S. using about 38,000 straws between the ages of 5 and 65. 90% of ocean waste is made up of plastic trash and it is having a devastating effect on .

Not before time P&O Cruises and Cunard have pledged to stop using all single-use plastic by 2022.

Most ships ships already have strict rules in place over recycling of the plastic but more must be done to influence the removal of single use plastic in products such as straws, water bottles and food packaging wherever possible on board

Royal Caribbean, Azamara and Celebrity’s combined 38 ships are set to target the use of straws and drinks bottles and have pledged to go ‘plastic free’ although have not yet committed to a date

Travel Weekly reported recently –

“Programmes such as Blue Planet have shone a light on the impact plastic can have on our seas and it is our responsibility, as an ocean-going cruise line, to take action now, however many hurdles we have to face along the way.

“The ocean is a fundamental part of our business but more importantly its preservation and that of the surrounding shores is critical for our future and that of future generations.

“We, as well as our guests, have a duty to respect and protect it as part of our wider environmental protection.

An estimated 24 million passengers are expected to cruise the world’s oceans in more than 220 cruise ships this year which in itself  raises the question of the effect on the environment so the very least we can do as passengers is ditch the plastic – do you REALLY need a straw in your Mojito??!!