Hurtigruten Expeditions, the world’s most sustainable adventure travel company, announces a partnership with German upcycling endeavor BRACENET. The cruise line will start upcycling old fishing nets and other marine waste to create lanyards, bracelets and keychains for guests and crew, underscoring its commitment to taking every possible opportunity to ensure its impact is net positive.

BRACENET, dedicated to ocean protection through recovering and upcycling marine waste, will create lanyards for all Hurtigruten Expeditions guests and crew. These lanyards hold key cards used throughout the sailing, forming an essential part of the onboard experience. Half of all lanyards will be made from mooring ropes, and the other half will be created from old fishing nets. Mooring ropes, which are used to secure ships in harbors, often face wear and tear due to friction caused by the ship’s movements. Rather than dispose of these ropes, Hurtigruten Expeditions will give them a new practical purpose while increasing awareness of the problems marine waste causes in our oceans.

“Every Hurtigruten Expeditions crew member, as well as all guests, will receive these upcycled lanyards,” said Stefan Engl, Hurtigruten Expeditions’ VP Hotel Operations, whose team have been leading the partnership with BRACENET. “Apart from being a practical accessory to attach essential cards and tickets, we hope that by being wearable, they will also initiate conversations about the impact of unmanaged waste on the unique nature and animal life guests see during their expedition and the conscious steps they can take in contributing to preservation efforts.” After use, guests have the option to either return the lanyards for future guests or take them home as keepsakes, the choice made by most guests.

The venture represents the latest addition to Hurtigruten Expeditions’ growing list of sustainability initiatives integrated into the onboard experience. The partnership complements the company’s Green Stay initiative, where Hurtigruten Group donates to charity for every night guests opt not to have their cabins cleaned, reducing water, power, and detergent consumption. The company actively manages and monitors food waste, aiming for a 30% reduction. These efforts are part of the cruise line’s comprehensive approach to minimizing its footprint, which also includes various Citizen Science projects, such as beach clean-ups.

Hurtigruten Expeditions is an industry pioneer in its sustainability work. Launching the world’s first hybrid-powered cruise ship in 2019, the cruise line continues to lead the way towards ensuring travel is net positive, forging a path towards emission-free travel by 2050 and achieving zero waste by 2030. As early as 2018, the company was the first to ban the use of single-use plastics and heavy fuel oils. This latest endeavor demonstrates how considered Hurtigruten Expeditions is in ensuring every possible aspect of its business is an opportunity to protect and preserve the planet’s natural beauty.