Costa Cruises’ sixth annual sustainability report reveals the company’s increasing gains in environmental and social responsibility.

With objectives that go beyond prevailing environmental laws and mandatory requirements, the cruise line’s report, covering its operations between December 2009 and November 2010, reveals continued improvement in recycling, marine life welfare, reducing emissions of ozone-depleting substances and carbon dioxide and community development programs.

Main findings for 2010 included the following:

• An increase of 26 per cent compared to 2009 in the proportion of garbage (paper, plastic, glass, metal) recycled in ports.

• An 11 per cent (approximate) reduction in fuel consumption, and consequently carbon-dioxide emissions, from 2007.

• A reduction of 34.2 per cent in the production of ozone-depleting substances, used in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, from 2007.

The report also details a waste-recycling program that was initiated by the cruise line in 2009. The program recycles waste (cooking oil, glass, aluminium, plastic) produced on ships calling in to Brazil, using the program’s profits to fund community support programs in the country.