Holland America Line Gives New Life to Used Carpet as Souvenir Coasters

Product showcases the cruise line’s commitment to solutions for recycling waste in a circular economy

Seattle, Wash., Aug. 20, 2025 — Holland America Line guests can now take home a meaningful piece of their cruise with the debut of a new retail item: a set of four coasters made from upcycled carpet that was used on board several of the cruise line’s ships.

Developed in partnership with Danish carpet manufacturer Dansk Wilton, these coasters are the first recycled carpet product ever offered for sale in the cruise industry. Available exclusively in Holland America Line’s onboard shops, they serve as a physical representation of the brand’s commitment to recycling waste.

“This project reflects our ongoing journey toward more sustainable practices,” said My Nguyen, director of interior design at Holland America Line. “These coasters are a tangible example of how discarded resources can be given a second life in the very environment they came from. We are proud to be the first in the industry to partner with Dansk and innovate carpet waste into beautiful usable products that our guests can enjoy.”

So far, 12,000 coasters have been created from the 3,300 pounds of carpet waste retrieved during various dry-dock projects on Oosterdam, Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam over the past two years. They are made using Dansk Wilton’s innovative ReBond material — the same upcycled textile used in Holland America Line’s architectural signage — and demonstrate how circular design can transform waste into special, functional products.

The coasters are part of Dansk’s pioneering Re:Shape initiative, a sustainability-focused design program aimed at finding ways to transform and reuse carpet waste. In addition to coasters, future plans for the project include using Holland America Line carpet waste to create notebooks, postcards, “do not disturb” door signs, artwork and other items that will be sold on board.

The coasters will be available in onboard retail shops fleetwide by the end of October 2025, offering guests a unique way to remember their voyage — and a chance to support sustainable innovation at sea.