Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic bans single-use plastics

Adventure travel company now plans to help supply chain partners eliminate unnecessary plastic use
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic bans single-use plastics
National Geographic Orion now offers environmentally sustainable alternatives to plastic bottles, stirrers, cups and more (Image: Ralph Lee Hopkins)

By Rebecca Gibson |


Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has successfully eliminated all single-use plastics across its fleet – a goal it started working towards in 2007 when it banned single-use plastic water bottles.

All of the ships in the fleet now offer recyclable or reusable alternatives to single-use plastic bottles, cups, straws and stirrers. For example, guests receive individual reusable stainless-steel bottles that may be refilled at filtered water stations located around the vessels.

The effort supports National Geographic’s ‘Planet or Plastic?’ campaign, which is a multi-year initiative aimed at raising awareness about the global plastic crisis and reducing the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans.

“The ocean is under major assault on so many fronts, and its protection is both a business mission and a personal passion,” said Sven Lindblad, CEO of Lindblad Expeditions, ocean advocate and founding member of Ocean Elders. “It is enormously gratifying that our team has achieved this milestone in our elimination programme. The health of our planet is dependent on our oceans, and it is essential that we change our behaviour with regard to plastics.”

Lindblad Expeditions now plans to work with suppliers to eliminate and reduce plastic packaging for the items they supply.

“The next phase in executing a broader reduction in our plastic packaging requires an industry-wide mandate to our suppliers to explore sustainable alternatives,” said Lindblad.

The single-use plastics ban also supports the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund (LEX-NG Fund), which awards around US$1.5 million dollars in grants per year to support environmental preservation initiatives worldwide.

“Lindblad Expeditions has been a valued partner since 2004, when we first started working together to offer extraordinary expedition cruises to some of the world’s most fascinating places,” said Gary Knell, CEO of National Geographic Partners. “Our shared passion for adventure and conservation made our alliance a natural fit, and their tremendous effort to eradicate single-use plastic reaffirms that. We are proud that Lindblad is taking action to make a positive impact on this pressing problem, and we hope that their efforts inspire other travel companies to do the same.”

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