One million plastic straws per year are among the unnecessary single use plastic items to be banned on Hurtigruten cruise ships this summer.
The ban on unnecessary single-use plastic is to be effective on all voyages starting in July. The removal of plastics is already underway onboard all the ships of the cruise line.
Hurtigruten passengers and crew often clean beaches of marine litter and plastic pollution in remote and pristine areas.
The ban includes drink mixers, plastic straws, plastic glasses, plastic bags and coffee lids. All will be removed from the ships of Hurtigruten. The goal is to become the first plastic free shipping company in the world.
Plastic straws are to be replaced by metal ones, stir pins will not be used any more – the same with plastic cutlery, plastic bags, plastic glasses wrapped in plastic, plastic toothpicks, plastic aprons, plastic lids on coffee cups, single-use packaging of butter as well as all other single-use plastic items which Hurtigruten’s 400.000 passengers and 2500 employees encounter on a daily basis are now on the ban list.
The single-use plastic ban will be imposed on the restaurants, hotels and other establishments of company’s land based operations operated by its subsidiary Hurtigruten Svalbard.
Hurtigruten’s decision comes a few days after announcing the most significant environmental upgrade in the 125-year history of the cruise line. Up to 9 of Hurtigruten’s vessels will be retrofitted to LNG- and battery propulsion.
The plastic ban list of Hurtigruten includes:
- Straws in bars and restaurants: Annual consumption: 960.000 pieces, Weight: approx. 2.800 kg (6200 lbs)
- Plastic glasses: Annual consumption: 390.000 pieces, Weight: approx. 5000 kg (11.000 lbs)
- Single-use packages of butter: Annual consumption 826.000 pieces, Weight: approx. 826 kg (1.800 lbs)
- Plastic aprons: Weight: approx. 4.300 kg (9.500 lbs).