Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has been named a finalist in Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s 2008 World Savers Awards. The awards honor 38 travel companies from around the world for their leadership in social responsibility in five key areas: poverty alleviation, cultural and/or environmental preservation, education, wildlife conservation and health.
“Sustaining maritime ecosystems is among NCL’s highest priorities,” said Colin Veitch, NCL’s CEO. “The protection of the oceans on which NCL makes its living is of paramount importance to the company and so it is with great pride that we accept this recognition from Condé Nast Traveler for our efforts.”
Last year, the company recycled 96 tons of cardboard, 206 tons of wood pallets, 275 cubic meters of cooking oil, 364 tons of plastics, 909 tons of scrap metal and 1,813 tons of glass. This recycling effort avoided manufacturing from virgin materials, which further conserved precious natural resources. NCL also managed 253 tons of trash and food waste at a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility, which generated enough electricity to fulfill the monthly needs of more than 575 homes.
In 2007 alone, the recycling program saved 2,200 mature trees, 2,300 gallons of gas and 672,000 gallons of water. This translates to enough saved timber resources to produce more than 27.28 million sheets of newspaper, enough gasoline to drive more than 64,500 miles and enough fresh water to meet the daily fresh water needs of more than 8,960 people.
NCL began recycling used cooking oil from its ships at the Port of Miami in early 2007. More than 15,000 gallons of used cooking oil have been offloaded and donated to an organic farmer in Vero Beach, Fla., who converted the oil to 870 gallons of usable bio-diesel for his farming equipment.