Paul Gauguin Cruises is the First Travel Company to Earn "e-Stewards Enterprise" Designation for Pursuing Globally Responsible Recycling Practices for its Electronics

BELLEVUE, Wash., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Gauguin Cruises(www.pgcruises.com), operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, is the first travel company to earn the "e-Stewards Enterprise" designation for pursuing globally responsible recycling practices for its electronics.

The "e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment" was created by the Basel Action Network (BAN), who developed the world's most rigorous standard for electronics recycling. As an e-Stewards Enterprise, Paul Gauguin Cruises agrees to always make the best efforts to work with recyclers that meet this standard.  

"Paul Gauguin Cruises has committed to a new arena of increasing global importance and joins a growing number of business, academic, and government leaders taking action for responsible electronics recycling," said Jim Puckett, Executive Director of BAN. 

The e-Stewards Standard incorporates the global ISO 14001 standard for environmental management systems, plus many industry-specific performance requirements. The e-Stewards Certification is the only program supported by the environmental community (endorsed by more than 70 environmental organizations around the world). For more information on e-Stewards, visit www.e-stewards.org.

Pacific Beachcomber, Paul Gauguin Cruises' parent company, is dedicated to eco-friendly practices that are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. In addition to the cruise line, Pacific Beachcomber owns six award-winning hotels in French Polynesia that have garnered the prestigious EarthCheck certification—an internationally recognized environmental management program designed for the tourism industry. Additionally, its InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa was the first hotel in the world to implement "Sea-Water Air-Conditioning System" (SWAC) technology, using deep seawater for all the cooling requirements of the resort.  SWAC is clean, quiet, maintenance-free, and a fully renewable non-fossil source of environmentally friendly energy that results in electricity savings of more than 90 percent for the resort in comparison to conventional cooling methods. For more information, visit www.tahiti.intercontinental.com and www.hotelmaitai.com.

Pacific Beachcomber's next project is The Brando, a luxury eco-resort on the private island of Tetiaroa in French Polynesia. The Brando has set a goal of being fully self-sustaining with renewable sources of non-fossil energy. The company is also building an eco-station dedicated to scientific research, which will be home to conservation and education about the biodiversity in Tetiaroa and French Polynesia. For more information on Tetiaroa, visit www.tetiaroa.pf and www.storyoftetiaroa.com.

Pacific Beachcomber's Chairman, Richard Bailey, is a world leader in the field of sustainable tourism and environmental responsibility. He is also co-founder of the non-profit foundation, Te Mana O Te Moana. The organization strives to protect the marine environment, provides public education, scientific research, and continuously promotes eco-friendly practices through its properties and local communities. Pacific Beachcomber is also a founding member of Sustainable Travel Leadership Network (STLN) which is a forum convened by Sustainable Travel International. STLN identifies and assesses key issues and provides a forum for information exchange on good business practices that facilitate social, environmental, and economic sustainability, both locally and globally. For more information on Pacific Beachcomber, visit www.pacificbeachcomber.com.

About Paul Gauguin Cruises
Owned by Pacific Beachcomber S.C., French Polynesia's leading luxury hotel and cruise operator, Paul Gauguin Cruises operates the 5+-star cruise ship m/s Paul Gauguin, providing a deluxe cruise experience tailored to the unparalleled wonders of Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the South Pacific. The Gauguin was built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint Nazaire, France. The ship, 513 feet long and 71 feet wide, has a draft of 16.9 feet, and can accommodate 332 guests with a staff of 217. It is one of the top Exclusive Charter and Incentive Group venues in the industry and has completed more than 570 South Pacific cruises, serving more than 176,250 guests, including more than 15,000 honeymooners, since its inaugural sail in 1998. The Gauguin has undergone more than $25 million in enhancements, with an additional $7 million completed in January 2012. The Gauguin has been impressively named the 2011 Silver Magellan Award Winner in the Small Cruise Ship category by Travel Weekly and was recognized as one of the "Top 20 Small Cruise Ships" by readers of Conde Nast Traveler in 2012.

The cruise line's second ship, the m/v Tere Moana, will begin sailing under the Paul Gauguin Cruises' banner in December 2012 after completing a multifaceted renovation. The ship, which will sail Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America, is 330 feet long and 46 feet wide, has a draft of 11.5 feet, and can accommodate 90 guests with a staff of 54.

For additional information on Paul Gauguin Cruises, please visit www.pgcruises.com.

Media Contact:
Paul Gauguin Cruises
Vanessa Bloy, Director of Public Relations
(425) 440-6255
[email protected]

SOURCE Paul Gauguin Cruises

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