Marella Cruises rolls out industry first microfibre filter initiative to support the prevention of ocean pollution from microplastics across the fleet
Marella Cruises and Cleaner Seas Group are rolling out an industry first initiative in microfibres captured in all laundry systems across the fleet of the five ships by September 2025 after a successful six-month trial on Marella Explorer which showed that 99% of microfibres were captured.
In May 2024, Marella Cruises installed its first two groundbreaking INDIKON Marine filters onto Marella Explorer ship’s crew laundry system for the trial to prevent affecting delicate ecosystems and marine life from plastic microfibres.
Alongside the ongoing research with the University of Surrey, Cleaner Seas Group has also commissioned an independent laboratory to test the capture rate of the INDIKON Marine filter. A sample of both the laundry wastewater and a sample of the paper from a full cartridge from the Marella Explorer ship were sent for analysis. A test was conducted to compare the original volume of microfibres found in the laundry wastewater Vs the captured volume from the used cartridges. The test showed that 99% of microfibres were captured, the best possible outcome.
The roll out of the INDIKON filters, which have been matched to the ship requirements through pioneering technology from the support of Marella Cruises’ technical team and Cleaner Seas Group, will be installed across the entire fleet will help to capture more microfibres per year. TUI Cruises has also trialled the INDIKON filters last year.
Based on the results from the research, Marella Cruises’ microfibre footprint will be capturing an estimated 500kg of microfibre pollution per ship, per year. Through this capture of microfibres across all the laundry systems onboard it helps support the prevention of pollution from impacting marine ecosystems and the INDIKON filters can be reused and recycled for future use.
MARELLA CRUISES
Marella Cruises is part of TUI UK and Ireland and TUI Group. It is the third largest cruise line in the UK. As of 1 June 2023, there are five ships in the Marella Cruises fleet, Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2 and the newest ship to the fleet, Marella Voyager. Marella Cruises offers its customers all-inclusive as standard with all tips and service charges included, customers enjoy an unrivalled level of service and award-winning entertainment. Marella Cruises has also received accolades at the Wave Awards in 2024 as Best for Entertainment and Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended for onboard service since 2019.
CLEANER SEAS GROUP
Cleaner SeasTM are a global team of innovators, designers and environmentalists working together to make a real and tangible impact on the future of our planet. Established in 2017 in Bude, Cornwall, Cleaner SeasTM mission is to restore and protect our oceans. Cleaner Seas first task is to take on the biggest ocean microplastic polluter: microfibres from laundry wastewater. Cleaner Seas work tirelessly to raise awareness and create solutions in the fight against the microfibres on a local and global scale.
Cleaner Seas first product, IndiTM, is a domestic, retrofit washing machine filter, available to buy now, that empowers every washing machine owner to join us and become a part of the solution. IndiTM is groundbreaking in its circular replacement cartridge system and the technology has also been scaled across industrial, commercial and marine versions of the filter system.
Cleaner Seas research and development team continue to innovate around the issue and are in conversation with water treatment companies, textiles, manufacturers, washing machine manufacturers and government to affect change and work together on wide reaching and effective solutions. Together we can turn the tide on ocean pollution.
Cleaner-seas.com
