AIDA Cruises announced in a press release that 45,700 square meters of carpeting, the equivalent of more than six soccer fields, was removed from the AIDAdiva during her drydock stay and have been recycled sustainably.

According to the company, the AIDAdiva was modernized as part of the AIDA Evolution future initiative, during which the company opted for complete reuse and recycling for the first time.

AIDA said that it will also reuse recycled carpeting during the AIDAluna’s next shipyard stay.

“The special thing is that we don’t simply throw away this large amount of carpet waste but have found a way to recycle it,” said Marc Spingler, director of hotel maintenance drydocks and refit at AIDA.

“The recycling of carpets is a pilot project that we launched with Oceancircle more than three years ago. Today, we can proudly say that we have taken an important step towards conserving resources and reducing waste. We see great potential for the future,” added Spingler.

The company said that the carpet material is coarsely shredded in a shredding plant directly onsite at the shipyard and is transported to a briquetting press, which reduces the volume by a further 90 percent.

The briquettes are further processed into a volume fleece that can be used as a base product for insulation material and a carpet pad, for example. Recycled old carpets, curtains and canopies are used in the production of the fleece.

“We are particularly proud that we will be using these carpet underlays, which are made from the material from the AIDAdiva, on the AIDAluna during the next shipyard period in fall 2025. This closes the circle,” Spingler said.

“We are already thinking about producing other products for our ships from the recycled material, such as door plates or coat hangers.”

The press release said that a new type of carpet that is 100 percent recyclable and allergy-friendly has now been used throughout the crew area and reception.

The material is made from ECONYL yarn from Aquafil and is produced by the Italian manufacturer Radici. ECONYL regenerated nylon is 100 percent recycled yarn made from plastic waste such as fishing nets, fabric scraps and old carpets.