98 INTERVIEW Circularity in action Aquafil’s cruise collaborations demonstrate how designers can embed circular design principles into large-scale refurbishments without compromising standards. Cristina Stefani shares more with Laura Hyde Sustainable interior design is no longer a secondary consideration in cruise ship refurbishment projects; it is fast becoming a central driver as operators face and respond to increasing regulatory pressure and evolving passenger expectations. As such, companies with sustainability embedded in their operations, such as Aquafil, are playing an increasingly influential role within the industry. Over the last 12 months, Aquafil has worked with AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises on several ship refurbishments, each centring on the installation of the Bloom Back carpet, which is International Maritime Organization (IMO) certified. Developed by Italian carpet manufacturer Radici Marine, the carpet uses Aquafil’s ECONYL regenerated nylon 6 through its Born Regenerated to be Regenerable (R2R) initiative. “Our partners at AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises recognise they can achieve circularity without compromising on aesthetics, quality or durability, which are non-negotiable in the cruise sector,” says Cristina Stefani, marketing strategist for circularity projects at Aquafil. “As well as collaborating with AIDA Cruises, the first mover in this context, on the AIDA Evolution initiative, Aquafil has also been chosen for the refurbishment projects of the first three AIDAselection vessels: AIDAdiva, AIDAluna and AIDAbella. Currently, the project is moving into an intensive phase of defining technical specifications and supply requirements for the next four sister ships in the series: AIDAblu, AIDAsol, AIDAmar and AIDAstella. “To date, we have also completed installations across Costa ships Costa Serena, Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana. To date, the total volume for Bloom Back R2R carpet covers across both Costa and AIDA is roughly 70,000 square metres. This represents a significant achievement, considering our entry into this market was only two years ago. Looking ahead to our partnership with Costa, we are confident that our collaboration will intensify, as there are currently two major new refurbishment projects under development, as well as one already in the final approval phase. These projects represent a shared commitment with Costa to transforming the fleet through innovative, ecoconscious design.” Following the success of these projects, Aquafil is focused on evolving beyond the role of a material supplier to becoming a strategic partner in cruise circularity design. “We are actively participating in the eco-design phase through our Born R2R initiative, working directly with carpet manufacturers, architects and owners to review and adjust technical specifications,” explains Stefani. “There are three main barriers to scaling circularity in the cruise industry. Firstly, the industry relies on long-established procurement specifications which don’t prioritise end-of-life recyclability and as such, many cruise lines are locked into multi-year supply agreements. “Secondly, the infrastructure for taking back materials is still evolving,
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