Regular dry docks are a part of every cruise ship’s working life. Whether it’s for routine maintenance or a massive refurbishment, each one is a meticulously planned operation that requires the coordination of an expansive workforce that must adhere to a demanding schedule and exacting budget. Inevitably, like any large facility overhaul, it ends up producing waste matter. “There are multiple waste streams from many different departments,” explains Willie Traeger, interior design manager for asset management at Holland America Line. “Just some examples include cardboard packaging, bed and bath linens, engine parts, broken furniture, and carpets and carpet pads.” Cruise lines and shipyards make significant efforts to ensure all the waste is disposed of correctly, but it can be difficult to see beyond finishing the task at hand. “In this intense environment, it can be easy to overlook opportunities for more sustainable ways to handle waste – even with the best intentions,” says Emilie Posniak Hansen, an architect at ship design company OSK Design. “Once the skip is being filled, it is nearly impossible to track what is being sorted, saved, or simply thrown away. It raises an urgent question: what can we do to make reusing or repurposing products the default approach?” Finding a way to establish sustainability as the default poses some challenges. As Hansen acknowledges, any changes to the existing system need to make economic sense in order to A wish for the future OSK Design and Holland America Line discuss how they are cutting waste in the cruise industry COVER STORY 32
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