All 50 ships in the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fleet will become “plastic straw-free” by 2019. Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, TUI Cruises, and Pullmantur Cruises are eliminating these drinking straws as part of their existing plastic reduction programs.
For over a year now, RCL ships have been implementing a "plastic straws on request" policy. This program will take another step forward when, before the start of 2019, every time passengers request a drinking straw, they will receive a paper straw instead of a plastic one. Passengers will also begin finding FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wooden coffee stirrers and bamboo cocktail and snack picks on board as part of RCL's plastic reduction strategy.
"The health of the oceans is vital to our company's success," said Richard Fain, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "For more than 25 years, our Save the Waves environmental program has driven us to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. Eliminating single-use plastics is another step within that program."
Following straws, coffee stirrers, and decorative toothpicks, the company's next efforts will focus on other single-use plastics such as condiment packets, cups, and bags. A comprehensive plastics audit is underway with a holistic plan to be completed in phases by 2020.
Since 1992, RCL's Save the Waves program has been implementing best sustainability practices on the company's ships. The program introduced state-of-the-art onboard recycling facilities (equipped with crushers, balers, and compactors to process glass, light bulbs, cans, and aluminum). The goal is "zero waste to landfill," meaning all waste will be reused, recycled, or incinerated. In fact, over the past ten years, RCL has reduced average waste to less than 230 grams per passenger per day (less than one-eighth of the US average).
