'There is no greater luxury than sustainability...'
Yachts are fairly self sufficient when it comes to cruising the world, they have pretty much everything they need onboard at all times. When it comes to being back on land they rely on marinas for a range of services, needing a place to dock, to re-provision, to maintain, to get on land etc.
So, how do you know which marinas are adhering to the concepts of sustainability and have environmental initiatives in place? Whilst yacht crew can do their best whilst they are onboard they need this sustainable support to be replicated once onshore. It is vital that marinas have the infrastructure and resources in place.
Whether it be how the marina operates, recycles, disposes of waste, consumes energy, teams up with conservation charities or implements education awareness, there are a range of environmental initiatives which can be carried out within marinas. The increasing global awareness to recycling and waste disposal means there is a lot more being done to ensure sustainability is integrated into marina business models. There have also been new ideas and product innovations such as the Seabin project, moving the industry in the right direction for cleaner and greener marinas.
One way which is helping the industry keep accountable is the ‘Blue Flag’ scheme. This world renowned eco label helps promote sustainability throughout the tourism sector. There are currently 4,500 beaches, marinas and eco tourism boats that are contributing to the sustainable development goals. Check out their website to see which marinas have qualified for the blue flag status. To get the status marinas must adhere and maintain stringent environmental, educational activities, safety and access related criteria.
Things to think about before you dock:
We know sometimes there isn’t much choice with which marina you berth at, whether you are the owner or the Captain, if you want to be in a particular town or area, there may not be many options, but below are some of the things you should think about and to be aware of before booking in.
What are the recycling and waste disposal facilities like?
How do they give back to the community?
What is their stance on single use plastics?
Are the policies transparent and ethical?
Does it have a blue flag certification?
How are they running their marina, are they using any renewable energy resources?
Do they value sustainability and the environment?
Do they have any environmental projects running?
Here are a few examples of how super yacht marinas are incorporating sustainability initiatives into their service:
There are also new developments on the horizon which focus their development project around sustainability:
Nawi island, Fiji (Due to open at the end of 2020)
AMAALA, The Red Sea Project, Saudi Arabia - (Due to open in 2022)
At SSY, we value all areas of the industry when it comes to improving sustainability and it doesn't just stop onboard the yacht. To get involved in the conversation about clean marinas, contact the Clean Superyacht Marina campaign and quote us at @SeastainableYachting to share your experience and information about superyacht marinas.