By
Rebecca Gibson |
Costa Cruises has implemented new shipboard waste management models onboard its ships after releasing the results of a three-year Sustainable Cruise Project.
Managed and developed by Costa, the €2.7 million initiative was half-funded by the European Commission within the framework of its LIFE programme. The remaining balance was provided in cooperation with the Academic Research Center for Sustainable Product Development, VOMM, Contento Trade, Design Innovation, RINA Services and MedCruise.
The project was piloted onboard Costa Pacifica from September 2011 and involved testing and evaluating various shipboard waste-management models and techniques that conformed to the European Directive on Waste, which is based on the ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ philosophy. Costa focused on reducing packaging, paper and biodegradable materials waste.
In an effort to reduce packaging, Costa replaced more than 11,900 glass bottles per cruise with PET plastic bottles, reducing 50% of the ship’s glass waste and saving an average total of 16,093 pounds of glass. Using PET plastic, which is a less energy-intensive product than glass, also equated to a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or a decrease of approximately 754 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per cruise day. Similarly, replacing individual-serving plastic yogurt cups with two-pint containers led to the line using 6,500 fewer cups per cruise.
Meanwhile, more than 1,400 passengers and over 18,000 Costa employees were involved in a campaign to raise awareness about paper waste. To reduce the volume of shipboard paper waste, the cruise operator replaced onboard paper information with digital versions. For example, on Costa Pacifica’s daily Today events and activities newsletter was reduced in size by 50%.
To help reduce Costa Pacifica’s biodegradable waste, Costa installed a Turbo-Dryer, which consists of a stack of slowly rotating circular trays. The bio waste was heat-treated during a cooking and then a drying phase, which removed moisture and substantially reduced the volume. The end product retained many of the proteins and nutritional value of the original material, and was suitable for use as raw material for animal feed. Laboratory tests also revealed that the oil and fat derived from processing the bio waste (about 1.9 % in volume) could potentially be reused as biofuel.
In addition, laboratory tests indicated potential new uses for the Turbo-Dryer, including using the device to recycle PET plastic onboard by turning it into granules ready for use in plastic manufacturing. This would achieve an additional 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The dryer also turned paper into semi-processed hygienic products suitable for use in paper mills for recycling, or as additives or biomass.
As part of the project, Costa also tested the application of Italian and European regulations governing shipboard waste management and helped identify areas for improvement to enhance sustainability in the industry.
According to current Italian regulations, materials processed by the Turbo-Dryer cannot be classified as secondary raw materials and reused when they are removed from the ship because they are still regarded as waste. Costa aims to lobby the government to amend the law to make it possible – and economically viable – to treat waste onboard a ship so it can be recovered and recycled once it is discharged onshore.
The project work conducted on Costa Pacifica was complemented by efforts to enhance waste management and treatment services at port reception facilities. The waste-processing facilities of 52 Mediterranean ports were surveyed and studied, resulting in the creation of a dedicated online platform that will be updated twice a year. In addition, some of those ports will participate in a planned pilot programme to provide cutting-edge waste management services for Costa’s ships.