Channel Islands operator Condor Ferries is cutting the use of plastics across its fleet.
The company has pledged to replace one million single use items by compostable and re-usable products this year.
Vegetable-based cutlery and coffee cups made from ‘Vegware’ have been introduced on its Liberation, Rapide and Clipper vessels and further ways to reduce its plastic footprint are being investigated.
Vegware uses renewable, lower carbon or recycled materials and can be composted along with food waste.
Condor passengers use 152,000 forks, 158,000 knives, 93,000 spoons and 42,000 straws along with 557,000 cups and 158,000 lids every year.
The removal of plastic items and plastic-lined soft drinks cups will see a reduction of 1.2 million products in circulation by the end of 2019.
Re-cycling points will be installed on board its ships and at five ports. Condor is also signing up to two Channel Islands’ initiatives – Plastic Free Jersey and the Keep Guernsey Green.
CEO Paul Luxon confirmed the company is looking at a number of eco-friendly alternatives so it can reduce the use of plastics by three quarters over the next three years.
“We fully recognise we have a role to play so our aim is to lessen plastic in circulation by 75% by 2021,” he said.
“Like most other businesses, we accept there is a way to go to achieve this, but we are making progress in evaluating and testing new items for introduction such as bio-degradable water bottles and seaweed packaging, all of which are zero-waste.
“Our passengers are very aware of environmental issues and I am sure they will welcome the changes we have already made and those in the pipeline.”