Royal Caribbean transforms waste management on cruise ships, helping to protect the oceans

Royal Caribbean Group builds on its industry-leading waste management practices by introducing the next generation of technology to reach the high seas. These tools, from waste-to-energy systems, food waste applications and an expanded network of eco-centers, are the result of the cruise company's relentless drive to deliver the best vacation experiences responsibly.

Debuting this year, on two of Royal Caribbean Group's newest ships will be the cruise industry's first systems for converting solid waste directly into onboard energy.

"I am proud of Royal Caribbean Group's drive to SEA the Future and to be better tomorrow than we are today," said Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO. "Pioneering the first waste-to-energy system on a cruise ship is rooted in our commitment to remove waste from local landfills and deliver great vacation experiences, responsibly."

From solid waste to energy at sea The systems, Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis (MAP) and Micro Auto Gasification (MAG), debuting respectively on
Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas and Silversea Cruises' Silver Nova, will take the waste on board and convert them into syngas (syngas) that the ship can use directly as energy. Like waste-to-energy facilities on land, the result is the reuse of waste in an efficient and sustainable way. An additional byproduct of the system, biochar, can also be used as a soil nutrient.

Food waste reduction
Royal Caribbean Group is also looking at end-to-end waste management. Including its plans to reduce fleet food waste by 50% by 2025. To do so, the cruise company is rolling out initiatives across all of its brands, including:

Develop a proprietary platform to monitor food supply and accurately estimate the amount of food that needs to be produced, prepared, and ordered on any given day.
Using artificial intelligence (AI) to adjust food production in real time.
Introducing a dedicated shipboard food waste role to monitor and train crew members.
Track guest demand for specific menu items and adjust menu preparation and ordering accordingly.
Introduced an awareness campaign about food waste in crew mess rooms across the fleet.

To date, Royal Caribbean Group has achieved a 24% reduction in food waste by focusing on the early stage of the food system, which prevents and addresses many of the leading causes of food waste, including inventory management and excessive preparation.

Expansion of Green Hubs
Since the company's first environmental initiative, Save the Waves, aimed at ensuring solid waste is not wasted, Royal Caribbean Group has worked diligently to increase accountability and strengthen responsible waste management practices. To do so, it developed Green Hubs, a capacity-building program to identify waste suppliers in strategic destinations that has helped divert 92% of its waste from landfills. Since its inception in 2014, the program has grown to 33 ports around the world.

Now joining the Green Hub program is the Galapagos Islands, where Silversea became the first operator to be certified in environmental stewardship by diverting all waste from the landfill. Initiatives like this allow Royal Caribbean Group to continue safeguarding the delicate Galapagos ecosystem for future generations.

Championing the environment
With a sustainability journey that began more than 30 years ago, Royal Caribbean Group has remained steadfast in its commitment to innovate and promote the solutions necessary for a better future. Building on a strong portfolio of technologies that improve energy efficiency, water treatment and waste management, the addition of waste-to-energy systems is an extension of the company's commitment to go beyond what is expected. and SEA the Future to sustain the planet, energize the communities in which it operates and accelerate innovation.

Source: Royal Caribbean Group