Carnival Corporation on Pace to Hit Food Waste Reduction Milestone

MIAMI, Dec. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: 

CUK), the world's largest cruise company, today announced it has achieved a 38% reduction in food waste per passenger relative to its 2019 baseline, nearing its interim target to reduce food waste by 40% per person by 2025 on its path toward a 50% reduction by 2030. Less than a year since surpassing the previous 30% food waste reduction goal announced in its 2022 Sustainability Report, this performance signals continued momentum in the company's efforts to shrink its food print – an important element in the company's long-standing commitment to sustainable operations from ship to shore.

To achieve its goals, Carnival Corporation has taken decisive measures onboard its ships to minimize unused food across every aspect of food preparation and dining services. In addition, the company has invested in advanced waste management technologies such as biodigesters to naturally break down and responsibly dispose of unused food. Together, these strategies support the company's responsible waste management practices and drive continuous momentum toward achieving its 2030 food waste reduction goal – part of its circular economy objectives to use fewer resources, produce less waste, and maximize recycling, while also helping to reduce the company's environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions.

"One of the many ways we create unforgettable happiness for our guests is through world-class food and dining experiences on our ships," said Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation. "Our food tells a story and it's a labor of love to serve amazing meals to millions of guests each year while making sure we manage it in the most sustainable way possible. It's a virtuous cycle from start to finish that reduces our environmental footprint while ensuring the extraordinary guest experiences that make our world-class cruise lines stand out."

Innovative Solutions to Maximize Food Efficiency

Carnival Corporation has put in place several practical, technological, and educational initiatives designed to creatively cut food loss while continuing to deliver exceptional dining experiences. By monitoring and analyzing guest dining trends and flow, including utilizing AI technology, the company has further optimized food use at every step of the food lifecycle onboard its ships – from purchasing fresh ingredients, recipe creation and menu design, to real-time meal prep, creation and presentation techniques and in-suite dining. Many of the company's brands have also implemented onboard awareness campaigns to educate both guests and crew alike on doing their part to help reduce food waste onboard. Plus, Costa Cruises works with a network of registered food banks in communities it visits to deliver hundreds of thousands of surplus ingredients and meals to people in need.

In addition, the company also continues to explore even more ways to create and reimagine creative recipes that get the most out of every possible ingredient. Whether transforming orange peels into citrus muffins or unserved bread into croutons, the company's award-winning culinary teams find delicious ways to use every ingredient to its fullest, and in the process, reduce waste.

Food Management and Disposal Technology Investments

Carnival Corporation continues to invest in the industry's smartest solutions to safely treat and handle uneaten food, while helping to substantially limit impacts from conventional disposal methods, such as landfills. The company leads the industry with over 600 innovative food waste biodigesters installed across its fleet, which house naturally occurring bacteria that enable the ships to organically break down and liquify 80% of uneaten food on board to just a fraction of the original volume. By "digesting" this leftover food down to a liquid form, it can be sustainably returned to nature and diverted from landfills where natural decomposition would otherwise slowly release methane – a greenhouse gas. As a result, in 2023, the company has avoided over 31,000 metric tons of equivalent greenhouse gas emissions that would have been generated had the food gone to a landfill.

In addition, the company continues to innovate its approach to maximizing waste diversion by installing technologies such as dehydrators. These machines build on the effectiveness of biodigesters by enabling the ships to sustainably break down a wider range of food items, including fruit and vegetable rinds, animal fats and other solid foods that are traditionally harder to break down. To date, the company has installed 45-plus food dehydrators across the fleet to remove excess water from leftover food, reducing waste volume by up to 90%.

Food Waste Reduction Goals Advance Carnival Corporation's Long-Term Sustainability Plan

These advancements support the company's ongoing commitment in leading the way in sustainable cruising by promoting positive climate action, contributing to a circular economy, partnering with the communities it sails to and from, and reducing its greenhouse gas footprint.

Overall, the company – including its world-class brands AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises and Seabourn – is investing to achieve its 2030 sustainability goals and to pursue net zero emissions from ship operations by 2050. To accomplish this, the company has six key areas of focus, all aligned with elements of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, including climate action; circular economy; sustainable tourism; good health and well-being; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and biodiversity and conservation.

The company's current Sustainability Report provides more detail on its progress against all its 2030 sustainability goals and its strategy to pursue net zero emissions from ship operations by 2050. The report is available at www.CarnivalSustainability.com.

About Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company, and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises, and Seabourn.

Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com, www.aida.de, www.carnival.com,  www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com, www.princess.com, and www.seabourn.com.

For information on Carnival Corporation's industry-leading sustainability initiatives, visit www.carnivalsustainability.com.