Iceland ProCruises Goes Even Greener

Iceland Pro Cruises has updated its Green Initiative Program.

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The goal is to do its part and keep the oceans as clean as possible by:

• Reducing chemicals released into the ocean.
• Reducing energy used to wash items.
• Ramping up recycling efforts.
• Reducing the amount of plastic and single-use items consumed onboard.
• Serving only sustainable seafood that is Marine Stewardship Council approved.
• Replacing single-use bathroom amenities with wall-mounted dispensers.
• Using only biodegradable bathroom amenities.
• Using only biodegradable and eco-friendly cleaning and laundry products.

As a work in progress, IPC continues to look at other areas in an effort to become even more environmentally conscious.

A great example of this effort is guests bedsheets. Currently they are 60% cotton and 40% polyester. But polyester is plastic and releases tiny particles into water every time it gets washed. These particles are like a magnet to bacteria, which is consumed by marine life and eventually makes its way back into the food chain.

Currently the company is looking into various preventative measures — like using filter bags or Cora Balls during the washing process or replacing current sheets with those that are 100% cotton. However, 100% cotton is more expensive and requires more time to dry, thereby increasing energy consumption.

IPC feels it’s important to examine all areas of business when you consider the decomposition rates of common ocean debris. For instance, a single plastic bag takes 10 to 20 years to decompose, a soda can 200 years, and a plastic bottle 450 years. Disposable diaper take 450 years, and fishing lines 600 years.