Norwegian Cruise Line makes significant pledge on plastic pollution

Jason · August 3, 2018

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is to eliminate single-use plastic straws across its fleet of 26 ships, making it the latest big business looking to tackle the issue of plastic pollution.

The company will also ban single-use plastic straws at its two island destinations, Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye, in the Bahamas and Belize respectively.

The changes will help the firm to get rid of more than 50 million straws every year across its fleet, it said in an announcement Monday.

"Eliminating single-use plastic straws across our global fleet and island destinations builds on our global environmental program 'Sail & Sustain' and further reduces our environmental footprint," Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings' president and CEO, said in a statement.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises brands, which offer itineraries to over 450 destinations around the world.

The company is also a member of Ocean Conservancy's Trash Free Seas Alliance. Established in 2012, members of the alliance include businesses such as Walmart, Danone, Bank of America and PepsiCo. Ocean Conservancy is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization.

According to Ocean Conservancy, members of the alliance seek to "reduce and, where possible, reinvent products and services that damage ocean wildlife or ecosystems."

A number of big businesses are looking to reduce, or eliminate entirely, their plastic usage. At the beginning of July, for example, Starbucks laid out plans for eliminating single-use plastic straws from all of its coffee shops by 2020.

In June, McDonald's said it would move away from using plastic straws in its U.K. and Ireland restaurants. The business said a phased roll-out of paper straws at all 1,361 of its sites in the two countries would begin in September and be completed by 2019.

By Anmar Frangoul, CNBC
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
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ExpatCruise · August 3, 2018

Going after straws is really just a feel good window dressing thing. If you are really considered about plastic in the Oceans look at the real problem. We have 197 Countries in the World but if you take just five of them in Asia they dump more plastic into the Worlds Oceans than the other 192 countries combined. So why not go after the real problem these five countries China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam ?

Because the people pushing these PC causes really do not care about the issues they care about self promotion and feeling like they make a difference. Proof of the facts stated above about these five countries can be found in the 2017 Ocean Conservancy report.

So if people want to lie to themselves and believe banning straws will really help go ahead that is your right but don't push your false claims that you are really helping solve the problem.

If you really wanted to see a change ban all product importation into the United States and the EU from these five countries until they reduce dumping by 50%. See how long it would take for real change to happen? The answer is overnight. But when people could no longer buy the latest I Phone, or other branded products because of the ban, they would stop caring about the problems of plastic in the oceans. Do we really want real change or just to feel good about our efforts?

Edited August 3, 2018 by ExpatCruise

Jan115 · August 3, 2018

You've gotta start somewhere, and if the cruise line's want to do it one straw at a time, then so be it. If they really want to make a change, provide every cruiser with a re-usable water bottle and eliminate and ban ugly plastic water bottles. Those - and plastic shopping bags - are the scourge of the earth! ??️?️

jacketwatch · August 3, 2018

True. It’s a step in the right direction for sure. Such measures take time.

Werner · August 5, 2018

On 8/3/2018 at 6:39 AM, ExpatCruise said:

Going after straws is really just a feel good window dressing thing. If you are really considered about plastic in the Oceans look at the real problem. We have 197 Countries in the World but if you take just five of them in Asia they dump more plastic into the Worlds Oceans than the other 192 countries combined. So why not go after  the real problem these five countries China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam ?

Because the people pushing these PC causes really do not care about the issues they care about self promotion and feeling like they make a difference. Proof of the facts stated above about these five countries can be found in the 2017  Ocean Conservancy report.

So if people want to lie to themselves and believe banning straws will really help go ahead that is your right but don't push your false claims that you are really helping solve the problem.

If you really wanted to see a change ban all product importation into the United States and the EU from these five countries until they reduce dumping by 50%. See how long it would take for real change to happen? The answer is overnight. But when people could no longer buy the latest I Phone, or other branded products  because of the ban, they would stop caring about the problems of plastic in the oceans. Do we really want real change or just to feel good about our efforts?

We have to start with one item and go step by step a head. So ban straws, next the plastic cups ... change them for re-usables . Just the first day of your cruise be carefull for brainfreeze... ???

Edited August 5, 2018 by Werner

Jan115 · August 7, 2018

On 8/5/2018 at 12:31 PM, Werner said:

We have to start with one item and go step by step a head. So ban straws, next the plastic cups ... change them for re-usables . Just the first day of your cruise be carefull for brainfreeze... ???

First, a warm welcome to CruiseCrazies @Werner. I agree - one baby step at a time. In fact, I have my resusable straws already to pack for my upcoming cruise on Norwegian Gem. That way I can still sip my frozen pina colada rather than eat it like an ice cream cone!?