Captain Cook Cruises Fiji and Sustainable Tourism: plastic recycling in outer islands

Captain Cook Cruises Fiji have highlighted the importance of Sustainable Tourism after partnering with The Ocean Ambassadors on the ground-breaking Fast Track Fiji program. The program has set out to work with operators and industry leaders to minimize waste plastics entering the ocean and bring in commercial applications to process the plastics into both alternative fuels and multiple clothing lines.

The Ocean Ambassadors, with the help of the Australian High Commission, are setting up recycling systems in the remote areas of Fiji and Captain Cook Cruises have donated space on their cruise ship, the Reef Endeavour to re-locate plastics from the outer Islands back to the mainland.

The first plastics pick-up took place from Taveuni on Saturday October 11, 2014 and was a monumental change for Fiji that has until now been at a standstill on how to deal with their waste. Up until last year Taveuni didn’t even have a landfill, and now, with the help of Captain Cook Cruises, The Ocean Ambassadors and Keep Taveuni Clean, this island will slowly become the scalable model on how the rest of Fiji can change.

Fast Track Fiji will be a long term program which will include a wide array of initiatives including schools involvement, community engagement, educational presentations and corporate responsibility with the end goals to create jobs and close landfills.

According to Managing Director of Captain Cook Cruises Fiji, Jackie Charlton, “when we were approached to be part of this recycling initiative we didn’t hesitate. Fiji desperately needed a campaign to collect and recycle plastics and we are proud to help start one and do some good for the environment.

We made our first collection of four bags of plastics on Saturday and we have secured a container that will be based at Denarau Marina where the plastics will be stored.” Continues Jackie.

Once the container is filled the plastics will be collected and the Ocean Ambassadors will turn the bottles into clothes and fuel including their caused based brand Leisure Activist Group.

“We have a chance now to show the world what is possible when we work together. Waste plastics in the ocean have become the obvious major threat to the marine environment. If everyone takes a stand now and plays their part, Fiji can be the world’s first island nation to effectively stop plastic pollution.” Explains Adrian Midwood, Head of the Ocean Ambassadors and Leisure Activist Group.

“Our aim is to work with everyone, hotels, cruise ships, large business and especially the local community, as this problem is on all of us, so we intend to work with each department in different ways. For example using Captain Cook Cruise’s ship, free of charge, to transport the plastics collected back to Denarau is imperative to the success of this campaign.  We aren’t here to preach or tell anyone they are doing something wrong, we want to enable Fiji to do something right.” Continues Adrian.

For further information and bookings, please contact Captain Cook Cruises on T: +61 9126 8160 or from within Australia: 1300 To Fiji (86 3454), Email: fiji@captaincook.com.fj or visit www.captaincook.com.fj