Rethinking Circularity in the Cruise Industry

Circular Economy in Ship Interior Furnishings

The tourism industry relies on a wide range of resources and is associated with various environmental impacts. At the same time, more conscious use of materials and the further development of circular approaches are becoming increasingly important. The circular economy offers new opportunities to conserve resources. Through reuse, recycling and the closing of material loops, materials can remain in use for longer, while waste streams can be reduced.

In the cruise industry, regular refurbishments and shipyard stays generate large quantities of materials that are no longer needed, including carpets, curtains, mattresses and other interior furnishings. These materials offer various opportunities for reuse, refurbishment or recycling.

Since 2025, AIDA Cruises has been implementing initial circular economy approaches in the area of ship interior furnishings. Together with its partner Oceancircle GmbH, a process has been developed to recover and repurpose end-of-life carpets, curtains and canopy fabrics for new applications. In addition, 100% recyclable carpets are being used in parts of the fleet. These carpets are designed to facilitate subsequent recycling and material recovery. Carpet recycling is part of AIDA Evolution, the largest fleet modernisation programme in AIDA Cruises' history. Building on these experiences, the project examines how existing approaches can be evaluated, further developed and applied to additional materials.

About the Project

The project focuses on assessing the benefits of existing circular economy approaches and identifying further measures for ship interior furnishings that are both environmentally beneficial and practically feasible.

To this end, existing measures will first be analysed scientifically and their potential environmental impacts calculated. Subsequently, the relevant material and resource flows associated with cruise ship interior furnishings will be systematically examined to identify further opportunities for circular economy solutions. Building on these findings, new approaches will be developed and evaluated in collaboration with experts, with a particular focus on their practical feasibility.

The project's scientific partner is Fraunhofer UMSICHT. Life cycle assessments, material flow analyses and stakeholder engagement workshops will provide a robust basis for developing specific recommendations for action. The results are intended to support the targeted advancement of circular economy strategies in the cruise industry and, in the longer term, enable successful approaches to be transferred to other areas of the tourism sector.

Project Activities

The following activities are planned:

• Environmental assessment of existing circular economy approaches for carpet and mattress recycling using streamlined life cycle assessments (Streamline LCA), focusing on the carbon footprint and other relevant environmental impact categories.

• Systematic analysis of the material and resource flows associated with AIDA Cruises' ship interior furnishings, identification and prioritisation of the most environmentally significant material flows, and assessment of the three most relevant flows in terms of potential circular strategies (e.g. Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish or Recycle).

• A shipyard visit to AIDAmar and a workshop with relevant stakeholders from AIDA Cruises, Oceancircle and Fraunhofer UMSICHT to develop and evaluate new solutions.

• Selection and, where appropriate, practical testing of a new circular economy approach at AIDA Cruises.

• Development of specific recommendations for action for cruise operators and assessment of their transferability to the hotel industry.

• Development of an industry guide or toolkit to support the implementation of circular economy approaches.

• Communication and dissemination of the project results to facilitate their wider adoption across the industry.

“Our initial experience with carpet recycling has strengthened our conviction that a truly circular economy can only be achieved through collaboration. Together with Oceancircle, we have laid important foundations. Now, together with Futouris and Fraunhofer UMSICHT, we want to take a closer look, make environmental impacts transparent and explore new ways of developing practical circular solutions.” - Anja Neumann, Manager Sustainability & Communication at AIDA Cruises