Brittany Ferries says it will reduce and eventually eliminate the use of single-use plastics on its fleet of ships

Brittany Ferries, which operates from Portsmouth, is driving to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of single-use plastics onboard its fleet of ferries throughout Europe, by purging almost 5.7 million items of plastic per year.

Over the last 18 months the company has been ridding its onboard restaurants and cabins of single-use plastic items, including cutlery, cups, lids, stirrers and straws.

Altogether 5,664,400 items of plastic have been eliminated a year, including over two million cups.

In their place have come environmentally friendly alternatives made from bamboo, cardboard, paper and wood.

Already, the majority of meals consumed on Brittany Ferries ships are served on china plates alongside stainless steel cutlery, whilst most drinks are already served in glasses and china cups.

Other measures include the replacement of disposable shower gel sachets in cabin bathrooms with dispensers filled with eco-friendly gels and the elimination of plastic bags in dustbins.

The firm’s CEO, Christophe Mathieu said: ‘The sea is our home, so of course we’re deeply aware not only of its beauty, but also its fragility.

‘By tackling single-use plastics we are determined to take responsibility and make a significant contribution to collective efforts to protect the seas upon which we sail. I’m delighted to see this project already bearing fruit.

‘For sure, there’s much more to do, but this is a positive step forward, part of our long-term mission to incorporate sustainability into everything that we do.’

In 2020 the company will renew its focus on airborne emissions when it welcomes its first LNG-powered ship, Honfleur, to be followed by Salamanca in 2022 and Santoña in 2023. The trio will be amongst the first ferries of their type to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas offering significant environmental advantages over traditional marine fuels, burning more efficiently and producing no sulphur, virtually no particulates and 95 per cent less nitrogen dioxide.