Royal Caribbean Group says it is now diverting close to 80% of its waste away from landfills, supported by a waste-management network operating in more than 40 ports worldwide.

The company shared the latest figure, pointing to its Green Hubs program as one of the main systems supporting its waste-diversion efforts. 

Green Hubs are ports where Royal Caribbean Group has identified and assessed waste-management companies capable of properly recycling, repurposing or processing waste brought ashore from its ships.

The program began in 2014 and had expanded to 34 ports by 2023. Royal Caribbean’s latest update indicates that it has since grown to more than 40 ports.

A significant part of the work begins aboard the ships.

Royal Caribbean Group says its vessels have designated waste and recycling centers where crew members sort and process materials. Equipment can include glass crushers, cardboard balers and aluminum-can compactors.

Crew members may even separate glass according to color to help ensure that materials are correctly processed once they are unloaded.

The company reported that all its ships were equipped with the systems and procedures needed to operate without sending waste directly to local landfills. Whether the waste is ultimately diverted, however, also depends on suitable facilities being available at the ports where it is discharged. 

That is the role of the Green Hubs network. Waste vendors are monitored to verify that materials from the ships are recycled, reused, repurposed or sent to approved waste-to-energy facilities.

Behind these figures are environmental officers and waste-handling crew members whose daily sorting, compacting and recordkeeping make the program possible.