Hurtigruten celebrates 125th birthday with single-use plastic ban

Hurtigruten celebrated a plastic-free birthday party yesterday in honour of 125 years since founder Richard With brought the steamer DS Vesteraalen into service along the coast of Norway.

“We continue to build on our 125 years of experience and heritage, and we continue to push the boundaries by introducing the world’s first hybrid electric-powered cruise ships," said Hurtigruten CEO, Daniel Skjeldam. "We strongly believe Hurtigruten is the perfect fit for the modern-day explorer, and we are experiencing substantial growth across markets. The expansion we’ve seen so far is just the beginning."

READ MORE: Hurtigruten announces single-use plastics ban by this summer

Exploring for more than a century

For 125 years, Hurtigruten has taken guests to more than 200 destinations in 30 countries from pole to pole – in the waters of Antarctica, South America, the Northwest Passage, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, and where it all began: the Norwegian coast.

Global green changemaker

Hurtigruten has banned all unnecessary single-use plastics across its global fleet of expedition ships, from the Arctic to Antarctica. From straws to drinking cups and plastic bags, everything will be replaced by paper, biodegradable materials and other sustainable alternatives.

“Being a world leader in exploration travel comes with great responsibility for preserving the natural wonders on our itineraries. Plastic pollution is the single biggest threat to our oceans. What better way to tie together our past and future than celebrating our anniversary by removing all unnecessary single-use plastics,” said Skjeldam.

Sustainable practices

With the introduction of the world’s first hybrid electric-powered cruise ships, along with the conversion of up to nine existing ships to hybrid LNG-battery powered ships, Hurtigruten is looking to the future.

“We are committed to being the global leader in green adventure travel," said Skjeldam. "Whether we are developing the Hurtigruten product, designing new ships or discussing new itineraries and destinations, sustainability is the core of every detail of the Hurtigruten operation."

Hurtigruten is also advocating a ban on heavy fuel oil and stricter regulations in pristine destinations, partaking in several research projects, and funding local and global projects through the Hurtigruten Foundation.