Every Friday the food prepared but not used on board the Costa Toscana will be disembarked and donated to the Italian Red Cross – Civitavecchia Committee, which will distribute it throughout the area to people in difficulty.
The program for the recovery and reuse for social purposes of food surpluses produced on board Costa Crociere ships also restarts in Civitavecchia, one of the main ports of call of the Italian company
Civitavecchia, 3 May 2024 – The resumption of this important initiative to support those most in need is the result of collaboration between Costa Crociere, the Ministry of Health – Civitavecchia Veterinary Border Control Post, the Civitavecchia Customs Office, the ASL Roma 4 and the Civitavecchia Committee of the Italian Red Cross, which led to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding against food waste. The involvement and awareness of all the actors involved were promoted by the Rotary Club Civitavecchia.
From today, in all the calls that Costa Toscana, flagship of the fleet, will make every Friday in Civitavecchia, surplus or uneaten food on board will be distributed to local organizations that provide assistance to people in difficulty. The evening before the ship’s arrival, at the end of dinner, all the dishes prepared in the catering areas that have not been served to guests will be collected – the so-called “ready to eat”. The meals will then be placed in special aluminum containers which will be sealed and labeled to ensure traceability, and subsequently stored in the on-board refrigerators. The following day, after the ship has docked at the port of Civitavecchia, the containers will be disembarked and delivered to the volunteers of the Italian Red Cross of Civitavecchiawho will distribute them to homeless people and families in conditions of serious material deprivation, and also to family homes “Boys’ Republic”. Today alone, around 100 complete meals were landed and distributed.
The food surplus donation program was launched by Costa Crociere, as the first company in the sector, starting from 2018, thanks to the collaboration with the Onlus Food Bank, and is active in several Italian and international ports. It is part of the Italian company’s food assistance program, also promoted by the Costa Crociere Foundation, which has so far made it possible to distribute almost 1 million meals to around 77,000 people not only in Italy, but also in France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria , Germany, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Ukraine.
Costa Toscana stopped in Civitavecchia as part of a week-long itinerary to discover Italy, France and Spain, with calls in Civitavecchia, Savona, Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Palermo. During the summer, instead of Palma de Mallorca there will be Ibiza, one of the most popular islands in the Mediterranean. This will not be the only news planned for the summer period. From June, in fact, the Costa Toscana itinerary will be enriched with another great innovation, available only with Costa: the “Sea Destinations”. Alongside the experiences that will lead you to discover destinations “on land”, Costa Toscana will offer new experiences to enjoy on board, during navigation, to better experience iconic places included in the ship’s route. For example, while sailing between Civitavecchia and Savona, guests of Costa Toscana will be able to enjoy the light show dedicated to the “Cetacean Sanctuary”a light show that will reveal the secrets of some of the most fascinating marine creatures that populate this stretch of sea, such as whales, dolphins and humpback whales.
Costa Toscana is a latest generation ship, powered by liquefied natural gas, the currently most advanced technology in the maritime sector to reduce emissions, which Costa was the first in the world to introduce into the cruise industry. The ship’s entire daily water requirement is met by transforming sea water through the use of desalinators, and energy consumption is reduced to a minimum thanks to an intelligent energy efficiency system. Furthermore, 100% separate waste collection and recycling of materials such as plastic, paper, glass and aluminum are carried out on board, which are part of an integrated approach aimed at realizing circular economy projects. The driftwood that decorates the islands of the Archipelago restaurant, which offers menus created by three great chefs, Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León, to explore the destinations also through food, have been recovered thanks to the “Guardians of the Coast” , the environmental education program for the protection of the Italian coast promoted by the Costa Crociere Foundation. For each dinner enjoyed at Archipelago, Costa Crociere will donate part of the proceeds to support the foundation’s environmental and social projects.
Giuseppe Carino, Senior Vice President Guest Experience and On Board Sales Operations of Costa Crociere, he has declared: “We are very pleased to have reactivated our food surplus donation program for social purposes in Civitavecchia. Thanks to the collaboration of all the parties involved, whom we thank, this important port is once again becoming a virtuous example in the fight against food waste in the maritime sector. We thus confirm our commitment to working with the communities of the destinations we visit with our cruises, such as that of Civitavecchia, to create shared value together.”
Matteo Di Bartolomeo, President of the Civitavecchia Rotary Clubhe has declared: “Since the day of my election as President I have worked on this project which has food waste at the center of its objective. We are talking about an inclusive and highly valuable project, in which a large company like Costa Crociere fits into the community through social issues, increasing what has already been done in recent years. The effort of the institutions, associations and all Rotary members repays me for my commitment. A new page opens in which the territory and Costa Crociere work towards social issues with the support of the institutions”.
Roberto Petteruti, President of the Civitavecchia Red Cross, he has declared: “The Italian Red Cross turns 160 this year and has always been close to people who live in vulnerable conditions. Joining this project arises from the desire to strengthen interventions to combat food waste and at the same time to provide concrete responses to the numerous requests for food assistance. We thank Costa Crociere and all the organizations and associations involved for the sensitivity shown and for the precious collaboration”.
“The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding – he has declared Davide Miggiano, Director for Lazio and Abruzzo of the Customs and Monopolies Agency– represents further evidence of the fruitful public-private collaboration. The Agency continues its commitment to helping non-profit organizations by investing in the value of solidarity with the guarantee of the controls necessary for the legal movement of goods”.
Valeria Covacci, Director Uoc Sian ASL Roma 4he has declared: “The Roma 4 Local Health Authority, through the Food Hygiene and Nutrition Service, promptly accepted the request for collaboration for this project which combines two important principles: the fight against food waste and consumer protection. In fact, in general, one of the critical issues relating to the donation of food surpluses concerns food safety which must always be guaranteed but, in this case, it takes on particular importance as it involves protecting particularly fragile people. Our task will be to guarantee the verification of the feasibility of the reuse of meals for charitable purposes, reconciling the provisions concerning the donation for social solidarity purposes with the Food Safety Regulations”.
