Maersk Supply Service steps up its commitment to clean the ocean of plastic

Maersk Supply Service A/S will continue to provide marine support to rid the ocean for plastic. At the same time, Maersk Supply Service is launching a Plastic Policy to increase its focus on how it can reduce plastic waste from its own operations and supply chain.

Since 2018, Maersk Supply Service A/S has provided marine support for The Ocean Cleanup. Its anchor handlers Maersk Launcher, Maersk Transporter and Maersk Handler and crew have been supporting various test phases of the offshore operation in the Pacific Ocean and the North Sea. The first collection of plastic waste was turned into new, fully recycled products in fall 2020.

Steen S. Karstensen, CEO of Maersk Supply Service, says:

“Our seafarers sail the ocean every day and see the increasing problem with plastic polluting our oceans. As a responsible maritime operator, Maersk Supply Service is committed to ensuring the oceans remain a healthy environment for future generations to come. We look forward to continuing the collaboration with The Ocean Cleanup and providing project management and marine support over the coming years.”

By introducing a Plastic Policy, Maersk Supply Service is strengthening its focus on how it can reduce plastic waste. The policy has three navigating principles:

• Use our marine expertise to help come up with solutions to rid plastic from the oceans
• Avoid unnecessary plastic in our operations
• Engage with suppliers, partners, customers and employees to find solutions to minimise plastic use. We will be transparent about our results and learnings

Karstensen says:

“Plastic waste in our oceans is an increasing issue. With the new Plastic Policy, we commit to how we will work to reduce our plastic footprint and actively take part in solving this global environmental problem. We will do this in partnerships and close collaboration – with our employees, suppliers, partners, customers and industry peers. A great takeaway from the collaboration with The Ocean Cleanup is the willingness people have to find solutions that are both impactful for the marine industry and are bettering for the environment. We believe that we can make a change and we can do more together.”