'Ocean friendly materials. Superyacht standards...'
This week our guest blog is by Steve & Mike, the guys behind Cleanwake
It’s easy to get discouraged by the seemingly insurmountable task of saving the world. And if your name’s not Clark Kent you can probably forget it.
What we can do, though, is change direction within our sphere of influence.
Yachting is a funny industry, often with a lot of lip service paid to the importance of looking after the oceans but little action when it becomes inconvenient or time consuming. That's simply the nature of the industry and if we want to make a difference we need to make the transition as smooth as possible. By providing attractive alternatives which don't in any way hamper the luxury experience – or even better - actually enhance it, we will make the incremental gains which collectively make a difference on a large scale.
CleanWake was created by two engineers. With over a combined decade on various yachts we realised that our industry was generally quite lax in looking after the very oceans that make our jobs possible. We decided we’d jump in and help fix the problem.
We decided we’d jump in and help fix the problem
While we might not be able to change the mentality of our industry from the top down, every yachtie has a direct line to their captain and their chief stew – which means we can turn the tide from the inside out. This is CleanWake’s vision – to partner with the interior team and give them the confidence to present ocean-friendly products to their guests with the confidence that they'll have positive feedback as well as a positive impact.
Yacht guests and owners, simply due to their station, are usually among the influential. While it would be unthinkable for crew to petition their guests while they enjoy a private getaway, providing them with quality alternative products is a professional and proactive way of promoting change. On top of that, giving guests the knowledge that they are effortlessly supporting change adds to their level of satisfaction and overall enjoyment.
While yachts frequently accommodate the rich and famous, they are run, maintained, polished and kept afloat by dedicated crew year-round. With yachts requiring any number of crew from a handful to upwards of 60, the math is easy…
Let’s say a toothbrush should last 3 months before being switched out and a 30m roll of dental floss will last approximately 100 days:
A 70m yacht will have around 25 crew.
Each crew member will go through 4 toothbrushes and 4 packs of dental floss in a year.
On average, a toothbrush weighs 15-20grams. A pack of dental floss weighs 15grams
Over the course of the year, a single boat will throw away 3.5kg of used toothbrushes and floss from crew alone.
Now that may seem like a drop in the ocean, but think for a second how many yachts you saw in St Barth’s last New Year or at the Monaco Grand Prix – all of a sudden we realise that we are producing tons of waste from the most insignificant little hygiene product – and that is worth taking notice of.
Now, while there is an abundance of eco-alternatives available, very little appeals to the luxurious preferences of the yachting industry. We set out to create a product that ticked all the boxes required to be featured in the world’s finest all-marble bathrooms.
Minimal branding,
Elegant packaging,
Ocean-friendly and completely biodegradable/recyclable,
Finally, and most importantly, exceptionally high quality.
Enter CleanWake’s toothbrush and dental floss. Two products. Straight up and simple.
A bamboo toothbrush that stands head and shoulders above the rest and charcoaled bamboo dental floss that lasts. Ergonomic and eye-catching yet subtle and discreet.
By focusing on only two products we were able to ensure that these met and exceeded our stringent standards.
Gone are the days when we could say “that's just the way it is” and “well that’s how it’s done around here…”. One doesn’t need to be a salty veteran of yachting to have the authority to dictate industry trends – Our oceans belong to all of us and we all have a responsibility to do our part. It was that realisation that prompted us.
Our oceans belong to all of us and we all have a responsibility to do our part. It was that realisation that prompted us.
CleanWake is not another “one-stop eco shop” but rather a tool in every yachtie’s toolbox, to be used to help fix the problem of plastic waste in our oceans. Together with organisations like Seastainable Yachting and other likeminded brands we have the power to turn the tide and leave behind only a #CleanWake.