'There is no such thing as 'away'...'
In light of #globalrecyclingday earlier this month, we asked a couple of questions on our IG page about crew recycling habits.
So we listened and are answering to 86% of our followers who wanted more recycling tips and the 64% who didn't know about the Clean Superyacht Marina campaign and, of course, to anyone else who has ended up here.
Recycling. Quite honestly, is a minefield of a subject in a landlubbers world, let alone in a yachting world where you are usually on the move and crossing country boundaries on the regular.
Can this go in the recycling? Do I wash it? What goes in what bin? But, we recycled plastic and cans together in the last marina?
The truth is recycling is confusing.
Another truth is that superyachts are a breeding ground for waste, unfortunately. So as crew it is crucial that you are doing all you can in your power to minimise the impact of waste, here are our top tips...
Our Seastainable Tips:
* Do a waste audit onboard
You will be able to see where your waste in mainly from and be able to make a change on this. Whether that be reducing food waste, buying less single use plastic or buying certain things in bulk, you will really be able to understand where your waste is coming from and where you can easily reduce.
* Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Refill, THEN Recycle
When it comes to waste management, there are several steps you should always consider before recycling. Firstly, do you even need it? Can you Refuse? Secondly, how much of it do you need onboard, can you Reduce your consumption of it? Can it be something you Reuse? How about Refillable? If not, then, Recycle.
* Get the knowledge & pass it on
Each city, let alone country, has its own specifics to follow when it comes to recycling. Find out what actually can and cannot be recycled where you are, ask the marina for local information and clearly labeled bins - if they don't know, ask them to ask the local municipality and if that fails, find out for yourself. Once you know what the marina is doing, make sure you clearly label your bins onboard and ensure that crew are made aware of any changes.
* Lets get circular
The dream to move towards a more circular economy in yachting is still somewhat a dream. but you can help, buying recycled products - eliminating waste and the need to use more virgin materials. Make sure you consider the recycling potential of the products you are buying before you buy.
*Don't throw, give away
One man's trash, is another's treasure. Yachts tend to have regular clear out's, whether that is down to the owner wanting new toys, crew turnover and preferences or just generally things getting 'old' (in yachting terms) so when this happens why not see if you can donate rather than recycle.
* Make sure its clean and empty
Unclean recycling can contaminate a lot of waste. Whilst, it takes slightly longer, it means that the waste has a lot higher chance of actually being sorted and recycled by machines rather than it being put into landfill.
* Stop 'wishfully recycling'
The act of putting non-recyclable and mixed waste into a recycling bin. Whilst you may lessen your guilt for throwing it away in the 'non recyclable' bin, it's really not doing anyone any favours. These objects just end up taking a labour intensive path to the landfill, or, worse, oceans.
Seastainable Yachting has recently been appointed an ambassador for the Superyacht clean marina campaign. We have collaborated with this campaign as we know that this element of waste management is a topic that crew struggle with and is crucial for the sustainability of the industry.
The campaign came about as many marinas do not provide adequate recycling facilities or information about waste disposal. Therefore, the campaign is looking to collect as much data as possible about waste disposal in each specific marina around the world. If you are reading this as yacht crew and are in a marina, drop us an email and we will send you the short survey to help get that marina involved. This database will be invaluable, therefore, the more we know, the more we can help.
Thank you for reading, if you are onboard a yacht and would like specific answers about your waste management and disposal issues then please get in touch, we would love to help more and offer advice.