ECO YACHT SLOT – Big Issues Need Big Changes

Welcome to October in Mallorca, it’s great to see the yards filling up, both with quick turnarounds for those heading off to warmer climates and those preparing for winter work, it is lovely to catch up with friends and find out how the summer season has been.

It is encouraging that everyday more yachts contact us to find out about how to make changes onboard, and making the switch to Bulk and environmentally friendly products is becoming the norm which is great.

As some Yachts are heading into refits and big work now is a great time to tackle some of the issues onboard that are too difficult or time consuming to deal with during the season.

Talk to your Captain / Engineer / Management team about whether any of these things are possible. Some of these changes while being great for the planet can actually save money as well in the long run.

Water Bottles

How many Yacht crew have spent days of their lives loading up the boat with Crew and Guest water? A lot of us. A study by the founder of ETYC Yacht Trainer estimated that over the course of a season a 45m Yacht uses 5400 plastic water bottles !

Thankfully now many new build boats have water filtration machines fitted as standard and there are a large number of options available to retrofit as well. With counter top, under sink or systems that will filter the whole boats supply and upgrades to include fizzy, still, room temperate, chilled or even hot water straight from a tap there advantages to these systems are endless.

Supply your guests with their own personal reusable bottle onboard and use branded water bottles for service and no one will be asking where the plastic has gone!

Coffee Pods

Many crew come to me asking for an environmentally option for coffee pods and while there are some options available, the best thing you can do is switch to a bean to cup machine (or full barista for guests) wherever possible.  The advantages to this are a hotter, bigger, better cup of coffee and that a large bag of beans is not only cheaper but creates much less waste.

You can also purchase coffee locally when you travel to different countries reducing shipping miles and it is easier to make more ethical choices such as purchasing fair trade, direct from makers or organic. Obviously, this is not possible on all yachts so if you are stuck with your pod machine try to find the best version possible.

Food Packaging and Supplies

In homes and onboard food packaging waste is one of the hardest things to avoid. Convenience and hygiene standards mean that nearly all our food has become packaged in some way.

When you are not under pressure during the winter is a great time to assess where your biggest packaging problems are and look at solutions. For example, if you work with regular suppliers and provisioners talk to them about ways you can receive your deliveries with minimum packaging and make your wishes known.

Using your own collapsible crates that you give to them to fill with produce can be a great start and help with loading onboard. Going bulk wherever possible for  heavily consumed items such as yogurts and snacks or asking the chef to make biscuits and cakes during the offseason instead of buying can all help.

Garbage Crusher and Waste Organization

While there are many things you can do to make sure your Yacht creates as least waste as possible, there is always going to be rubbish created. The increase in concern about our pollution problem means that more countries are putting in facilities to try to make sure waste is disposed of correctly and where possible following these systems can help rubbish end up in the right place.

Installing a Garbage crusher where you can dispose of clean and sorted recyclable items can help with storage onboard and disposal onshore. Also doing some research in your down time about different countries/marinas where your yacht will travel and being aware of the rules in place can make it easier in the season to separate rubbish onboard correctly.

If you have the space look at creating areas in the crew mess for extra bins and clear signs that can be used for different areas specific needs.

Microplastic Filters on Washing Machines

Microplastics are one of the biggest unseen problems with plastic pollution and while they come from many sources, clothing is a huge contributor. Using a Guppyfriend bag for items that we know are shedding microplastics such as fleeces, sports wear and manmade fabrics is a great step it is not always practical in the middle of charter.

There are companies now who can retrofit small filters onto the pipes of washing machines that will filter out microplastics and can be emptied and reused. Or if you need new machines there are some versions coming onto the market now that have them built in. Ask you engineer if this is a possibility for you onboard.

If you would like help with anything mentioned in this article, recommendations for local companies or just want some help with getting started making some simple changes please get in touch.

Hannah 
hannah@viveco.co
+34 634 326 981
https://www.viveco.co/

Hannah is an ex-stewardess who now runs Viveco, an Eco Yacht and Home supply shop in Mallorca.

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