42 solutions onboard ships – not as isolated initiatives, but as holistic test cases to help us refine and scale them. These pilots can only succeed with early, cross-functional collaboration, where designers, outfitters and operators work as one team to prove that sustainability and quality can go hand in hand.” Cross-sector collaboration While many organisations in the industry have differing priorities when it comes to increasing the sustainability of maritime interiors, almost all agree that no one can do it alone. It will take collaboration between designers, outfitters, suppliers, shipowners, shipyards and other key stakeholders across the supply chain to drive innovation and develop cost-effective solutions that can be scaled across the industry to make a real difference. Shipowners and shipyards, for example, must work together to ensure ships are built with circularity in mind from the newbuild stage, according to My Nguyen, director of interior design at Holland America and Seabourn. “Both parties need to be aligned and set new standards for the future of shipbuilding that focus on sustainable and circular design,” she says. “They should add these requirements to the contract, rather than only using past reference ships.” Similarly, passenger shipping operators should collaborate with vendors and other partners to develop viable solutions for minimising waste during refurbishment projects. “There are some exciting innovations in the works that will offer solutions to keep old textiles, carpets, mattresses, aluminium furniture and more out of landfill,” says Nguyen. “I’m confident that if all brands in the industry incorporated into their dry dock planning a demand to process these types of materials on-site at the dry docks and partner with vendors that can turn this waste into useful products or materials that can go back into the industry, it can be a win-win for all parties. The more waste the suppliers can count on processing, the more this type of innovation will become available.” Meanwhile, designers and specifiers must incentivise suppliers to develop circular products and materials. “We should demand products that are circular, aesthetically pleasing, maintenance friendly, International Maritime Organization certified and available at a competitive price point,” says Nguyen. “The more specifiers demand products that meet these five criteria, the more options will become available in the market at an affordable price.” Cruise lines themselves will increasingly partner with suppliers and manufacturers in their long-term planning and initiatives too, predicts Liz Schneider, owner of Liz Schneider Interiors. “I believe cruise lines also have opportunities to include the guest, ship and shoreside audience as they evolve their vision to embrace sustainable interiors. And while brands are innovating and evolving, so too will sustainable design.” Working in partnership will also enable the industry to ensure that sustainability goals are achievable within commercial constraints, says Nick Farrell, co-owner of marine interior outfitting firm Trimline. “Small, practical steps – such as modular design choices, demountable systems and opting for verified sustainable materials – are creating measurable progress for Trimline,” he says. “We believe that collaboration, not just innovation, is key to scaling impact. It’s not about perfection – it’s about persistence and sharing knowledge to move the industry forwards together.” Andrea Bartoli, director of outfitting at Carnival Shipbuilding, also advocates for stakeholders across the industry to share knowledge about circular design principles, eco-friendly materials, advanced technologies, best practices for reducing waste and other innovations to drive continuous progress. “Providing comprehensive education and training programmes for industry professionals to stay informed about sustainable practices and implement them effectively is essential,” he says. Sustainable Maritime Interiors Declaration signatories – who include individuals from across the maritime interiors supply chain – must also play a key role in championing the need for change. “Together, we must make more noise, set new industry targets and use science to both support our arguments and make our goals more reliable,” says Jensen. “In addition, we should create and develop scenarios to show what the future of tourism could look like if we pledged not to consume more of the planet’s resources. These scenarios could be the basis for us developing new products, offerings and materials.” While the path to developing fully sustainable maritime interiors may be long and complex, it is not difficult to begin the journey. As Herget says: “Just do something – every small step we make contributes to a cleaner ocean.” Century Cruises uses eco-certified multilayered engineered wood and honeycomb boards for its interiors FEATURE
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