Inaugural Future of Recycling conference in Amsterdam unveils programme.
A yachting industry forum addressing the considerable challenges and opportunities presented by what has become known as ‘End-of-Life Boats’, will be held on Monday 16th November at the RAI Conference Centre in Amsterdam.
Powered by METS and technically supported by ICOMIA, the conference entitled The Future of Yacht Recycling will be staged by Quaynote Communications in partnership with YachtMedia, and will form part of the annual METS (Marine Equipment Trade Show) in the Netherlands.
In recent years most nations with ownership of significant numbers of leisure yachts amongst their population, have been turning their attention to the ELB phenomena which has been exacerbated due to the boom years of the 70s and 80’s, when large numbers of yachts were mass produced from long-life composite construction materials. And due to the fact their average life span is 30 to 50 years, they are now presenting the yachting industry with some economic and environmental challenges, in fairly large and annually increasing numbers.
As far back as 1999 the US based naval architect Eric Sponberg wrote an article entitled Recycling Dead Boats, in which he said: “Boat builders cannot produce a new boat that is competitively priced with its used counterpart. And added to that, “the industry has ‘shot itself in the foot’ by building boats out of such a durable and almost indestructible material as fibreglass (GRP.)”
Sponberg elaborated further: “What we need is a disposal pipeline for old boats. Take them out of the market, cut them up, grind them into little pieces and use them for something else. If old boats go away, the market and marinas automatically have space for new boats, and business booms. Recycling of course is the answer.”
More recently a study carried out by ICOMIA (The International Council of Marine Industry Associations) has estimated that there are more than 6 million recreational craft in Europe alone. This also revealed that historically, disposal methods have been crude, and generally involve chopping up composite structures and reducing them to fragments that can be sent to landfill, which is considered unsustainable in the long run. So again, recycling is the only realistic option for the future…
The one day conference has been structured to enable a wide range of topics to be presented and debated, it will also offer a dedicated exhibition area where specialist contractors, suppliers and advisers will be available to discuss their products and services with visitors.
An engaging program in a perfect location…
The day kicks off with a flexibly timed 3 hour period for arrival and registration of delegates. This will incorporate an exhibitors ‘open house’ to view and discuss concepts, processes and business opportunities connected with the End-of-Life boat fleet.
A welcome address by Geert Dijks, Director of HISWA the Dutch National Water Sports Association will be followed by speeches from senior executives from the European national marine associations, After that, an opening session hosted by specialists from ICOMIA will feature a presentation and panel discussion highlighting in detail; why the ELB bubble has occurred. This will look further into how many yachts are involved, and how they break down into size and material of construction. Specific regional data, anticipated future time scale for the build up of fleet redundancy, and the affect on marina operations will also be covered by the chairmen from ICOMIA’s Environment and Marinas Groups, Brian Clark and Roberto Perrochio.
After a complimentary lunch sponsored by METS, the presentations and panel discussion will turn to; The yacht dismantling process. Which materials can be effectively recycled or refurbished and resold? What licences and approvals are required? How are hazardous substances dealt with? How can traceability and environmental regulatory certification be assured? Case histories, and examples of existing successfully operating schemes will be presented.
The afternoon sessions then continue with supplementary subjects such as; GRP/ Composite material Recycling. This has been one of the toughest technical challenges facing the industry, but is now advancing positively with several successful processes being implemented recently, which will be presented and discussed.
Transportation and sectioning of large structures is discussed in the following session, as this has also been a barrier to progress which needs to have specialist attention in future.
The final subject, which is as equally important as the technical recycling process will be: How can the yachting industry adapt to get owners to accept the cost of disposal of EOL boats? There will be a discussion about suggested schemes designed to accrue funds which will cover disposal costs, such as via special taxation, insurance loading, crowd funding, increased harbour dues, etc.
Speakers already confirmed for the afternoon program include Britta Eklund from Stockholm University, Boj van Baars and Bram van der Pijll who run Dutch based yacht recycling companies, and Pierre Barblou who manages the APER network of boat dismantlers in France.
Also representatives from UCINA the Italian Marine Federation Antimo Di Martino and Mario Malinconico, will present the details of a successful GRP ‘up-cycling process.’ They have developed this in cooperation with specialist partners IPCB, specifically to deal with the large numbers of composite hulls that will become redundant in the coming decades.
The day will end with an evening drinks reception allowing an opportunity for delegates and participants to network in a relaxed environment.
The Future of Yacht Recycling Conference, Exhibition and Reception will be held in the new Elcium Building at the RAI, which quite appropriately has been acclaimed for its environmental sustainability.
Irene Dros, Maritime Domain Manager at RAI said: “We are really looking forward to host this event at METS 2015. It gives added value to the total programme of METS, and it completely fits with our stated environmental objectives for making this world a cleaner place” The RAI has won several awards for its approach to sustainability, and in 2013 achieved the distinction of enabling 100% recycling of all its generated waste.”
The Islander has taken a serious interest in this subject considering that the Mediterranean will have a large proportion of End-of-Life Boats in the coming years, and has been confirmed as official Media partner for the event!
Online delegate registration is now open for the conference with an early bird rate of 275 euros for the day.
For full details, updated agenda or to register online go to : www.quaynote.com
Or you can access the event page via this short link: http://goo.gl/1jDYNt
