Condor to turn the tide on plastic waste

Sunday 27 January 2019

After getting through 152,000 forks, 158,000 knives, 93,000 spoons, 42,000 straws, 557,000 cups, and 158,000 lids annually... a local ferry provider has pledged to turn the tide on waste by cutting a million single-use plastic items this year.

Under Condor Ferries' plans, all items will be replaced by compostable or reusable alternatives.

Plastic items and plastic-lined soft drinks cups are to be replaced by compostable and reusable products, which the company say will result in a reduction of 1.2 million products in circulation by the end of 2019.

Pictured: The ferry provider's plastic pledge.

The company has already introduced a number of 'vegetable-based' cutlery and coffee cups made from ‘Vegware' on the Liberation, Rapide and Clipper. Vegware uses renewable, lower carbon or recycled materials and can be composted along with food waste.

Recycling points will also be installed on Condor's fleet as well as in its five ports. The ferry company is also signing up to two Channel Islands’ initiatives – Plastic Free Jersey and the Keep Guernsey Green Award.

Paul Luxon, Condor’s CEO, said the company is also looking at a number of eco-friendly alternatives to reduce its plastic footprint.

"We fully recognise we have a role to play so our aim is to lessen plastic in circulation by 75% by 2021," Mr Luxon said. "Like most other businesses, we accept there is a way to go to achieve this, but we are making progress in evaluating and testing new items for introduction such as biodegradable water bottles and seaweed packaging, all of which are zero-waste."

He added: "Our passengers too are very aware of environmental issues and I am sure they will welcome the changes we have already made and those in the pipeline."