As such, BIMCO believes removing unnecessary plastics from ships is the best option. By “unnecessary”, they mean those plastics one simply uses once and then throws away. With up to 1.75 billion plastic bottles a year being used onboard, small steps could have a really big impact.
A reusable bottle symbolises the change the company believes should be made - ships moving from single-use plastic bottles to sustainable alternatives such as onboard water supplies or larger dispensers. And there are other benefits too:
- BIMCO estimates that an onboard system is ¼ of the cost of providing water in single-use plastic bottles and can pay for itself in only one year
- Refills can save CO2 emissions- evidence suggests around 2,355 kgs per vessel per year
- Refilling a bottle supports crew welfare too - today’s alternatives provide good quality, safe and tasty drinking water.
Why ocean bottle?
Small Bottle, Big Impact.
While there are many options of re-usable bottles on the market and different bottles will suit different ships, BIMCO has partnered with Ocean Bottle to support their campaign and to provide a product the company can give to their key stakeholders to help them spread the message.
Every Ocean Bottle funds the collection of 11.4kg of Ocean Plastic from the worlds most polluted waterways, that’s over 1,000 single use plastic bottles in weight.
Plastic is collected by locals from some of the worst affected coastal communities such as the Philippines, Brazil, Egypt, Ghana, India and Indonesia, who then exchange the plastic for money or receive digital credit to swap for tuition, tech goods, healthcare and micro-finance. This infrastructure is made possible with help from partners Plastic Bank, Plastics for Change and rePurpose who set up collection sites and ensure transactions to collectors are secure through traceable technology.
