Carnival Corporation today announced it is a charter member of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network (OPLN), a new global community of retailers, brands, non-governmental organizations and alliances committed to sharing best practices, developing scientific breakthroughs and new business models, and working to develop new approaches, innovations and solutions-based projects to address the impacts of plastic waste, according to a press release. 

Carnival Corporation recently announced a series of actions being undertaken by each of its nine cruise line brands, including significantly reducing its purchase and consumption of non-essential single-use plastics by the end of 2021.

The brands are also working to potentially eliminate individual servings of select packaged food items and other single-use plastics or decorative items used in food and beverage service as well as in staterooms. Through the ongoing efforts, the company’s brands reduced the procurement of single-use plastics by 80 million items in 2019 while also reducing 95 million other single-use items, as compared to 2018, according to a press release. 

“Our most important priorities are to operate safely, protect the environment and to be compliant everywhere we operate in the world,” said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation. “Becoming a charter member of the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network is another important step in the many environmental compliance efforts that are under way across the company.”

“The Ocean Plastics Leadership Network will provide an amazing platform for knowledge-sharing, creating amazing firsthand experiences and working together to achieve real change,” said Dave Ford, CEO of SoulBuffalo and founder of OPLN. “Companies like Carnival Corporation coming onboard will be such an integral step to having this organization be relevant and effective.”

In addition to being a charter member of OPLN, Carnival Corporation recently joined the Getting to Zero Coalition, an alliance of organizations across the maritime, energy, infrastructure and finance sectors committed to accelerating the decarbonization of the international shipping industry.