Port of Dover makes a stand for sustainability at Seatrade

The UK’s Port of Dover is highlighting its sustainability credentials at the annual Seatrade Cruise Global conference, taking place this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

The port reduced its carbon footprint by 94 per cent since 2007 and has an ambitious target of becoming carbon net zero, across Scopes 1 and 2, by 2025. As well as focusing on minimising its own environmental impact, the port is encouraging others to do the same. 

Port of Dover’s exhibition stand is entirely sustainable and also provides cruise operators with details of its expansion plans.   

This year’s sustainable exhibition stand follows similar initiatives in previous years. 

In 2019, the port’s exhibition stand at the Seatrade event was made entirely from waste plastic collected from oceans and beaches. All components of the stand – including the frame, walls, flooring, furniture and soft furnishings – were transported back to the UK from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, onboard Princess Cruises’ Island Princess in June 2022. The port then recycled the plastic into four sets of tables and chairs and donated them to schools and the children’s club onboard Island Princess.  

In 2022, the Port of Dover produced a unique stand in partnership with PIE Factory, an agency that helps businesses to have a positive social and environmental impact, and non-profit organisation Before It’s Too Late, which uses art, science and technology to inspire people to build a more sustainable world.  

“The 2022 stand came to life during the show, with a mural depicting Dover as a first-rate cruise destination with top transport links to London and beyond,” said Sonia Limbrick, head of cruise at Port of Dover. “It also showcased our iconic surroundings on the Kent Heritage Coast, which, incidentally, was voted fourth as the best region to visit in the world in 2022 by Lonely Planet.” The mural is now back in the UK and will be hung in Cruise Terminal 2 at the port.