Crew members aboard Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam have demonstrated that discarded materials can become a source of creativity.
During the ship’s “Best Out of Waste” competition, team members transformed recyclable items and other waste materials into imaginative works of art.
Holland America Line shared photographs from the competition and congratulated its winners while thanking everyone who participated.
The initiative gave crew members an opportunity to combine environmental awareness with recreation and teamwork.
Cruise ships operate like small floating communities, producing several different waste streams that must be separated, stored and processed under strict procedures.
Recyclable materials may include glass, metal, cardboard and some plastics. Ships also handle food waste, used cooking oil and other operational materials through dedicated systems.
A creative competition does not replace formal waste-management procedures, but it can make sustainability more visible to the people living and working aboard.
It can also provide crew members with an activity outside their normal duties, encouraging participation across departments and nationalities.
Holland America Line says its wider sustainability approach supports Carnival Corporation’s environmental goals, including reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and eliminating unnecessary single-use plastics.
The cruise line has also introduced other upcycling projects. In 2025, it began selling souvenir coasters manufactured from carpeting previously used aboard several of its ships.
Across the fleet, biodigesters are used to break down certain food waste with water, oxygen and microorganisms.
Instead of treating every discarded object as something without value, crew members were asked to reconsider the materials in front of them and imagine another use.
The finished pieces demonstrated artistic ability, but the event also delivered a practical message: environmental responsibility depends not only on equipment and company targets, but on the daily attention of the people working aboard each ship.
