MSC CRUISES RESPECTS THE WORLD’S OCEANS
14/01/2014
A television station in Brazil released a story about a MSC Cruises’ crew member throwing waste bags into the sea off the coast of Brazil. The story is based on a passenger’s account. A video captured the waste bags dumped at sea.
MSC Cruises takes this claim very seriously and is conducting a full investigation into the issue. Should any responsibility be confirmed, the company will take all necessary action to avoid similar incidents in the future.
MSC Cruises has great respect for the world’s oceans and has always worked hard to minimise its ecological footprint, finding innovative ways of lowering the environmental impact of its cruises through the use of modern technologies, environmentally friendly materials and strict procedures.
The MSC Cruises fleet is equipped with waste incinerators, pulpers, grinders and compactors for the processing of waste. Use of such equipment makes it possible to reduce shipboard space for storing rubbish, making it easier to offload waste to shore facilities and recycle recyclable items into special collectors for enhanced biodegradability.
On board MSC Cruises’ ships the vast majority of waste suitable for recycling, such as plastics, glass, aluminium and exhaust oil produced in the kitchen is processed so that it takes up as little space as possible. Up to 95% of the waste produced is carefully separated and available for recycling.
Hazardous waste, such as batteries and light bulbs, are stored in sealed anti-contamination containers before being sent to recycling facilities. Incinerated material is disposed of in advanced filtered incinerators at sea.
Other types of rubbish are delivered in plastic bags to port facilities authorized for waste disposal.
All waste processes are recorded in a Waste Record Book and its offloading is certified by a MARPOL receipt.
Each ship in the MSC fleet has an environmental officer responsible for all environmental issues on board. This includes the monitoring of up-to-date recycling and waste disposal procedures to ensure the implementation of the highest possible technological standards for sewage treatment and disposal. The environmental officer also ensures the careful, frugal use of resources, such as water and energy and is responsible for the training of crew members dealing with recycling procedures as well as the handling, collection, sorting and disposal of waste.
The company’s commitment to safeguarding the marine ecosystem has earned numerous awards and certifications. In 2013, the international certification body Bureau Veritas granted MSC Cruises the honour of being the first company to receive ‘7 Golden Pearls’ for environmental care for its Fantasia class ships. This unique award comprises “Cleanship 2” class notation for advanced air, water and waste treatment systems, as well as new ISO 50001 certification for the highest standards of Energy Performance, ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, ISO 22000 for food safety and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety.
