10 ideas of how to make your yacht interior more eco friendly.

As yacht crew and boat owners, we live, work and play on the Ocean. Some of us are reliant on the ocean to make a living and some just love being in or on the water. However if we want to continue to enjoy using our seas then we are all going to have to do more to protect them. Here are 10 ideas of how to make your yacht interior more eco-friendly.

 

 

1. No more plastic water bottles.

Even on boss trips or when racing. Choose some great looking reusable bottles which can be reused over and over again. Humans drink 690 litres (182 gallons if you're in the US) on average per year so that's a lot of plastic bottles saved if you and your crew all use refillable bottles.

Having your own reusable water bottle can also be a great reminder to keep drink regularly throughout the day and hydrated.

 

 

2. Use eco-friendly cleaning products.

We literally pour cleaning products into the ocean, anything that goes down the grey water or black water drains are very likely to en up in the ocean. So, choosing the right products has direct effect on our oceans.

These days almost all products on board can be swapped out for more environmentally friendly alternatives. There are now more sustainable alternatives for washing up liquid, laundry liquid, all surface cleaner, toilet and bathroom cleaner and even hand sanitisers. Choose truly environmental ones and read the labels, not all so called ‘eco-friendly’ products are as eco as they want you to think!

If you're interested to take a look at just a few sustainable options. Take a look at our interior products range.

 

 

3. Use reusable straws instead of plastic straws.

Humans don’t need straws to consume a beverage, but some prefer it, so if you have to use them, choose ones that can be reused. There are acrylic, metal and even bamboo ones available. Many are dishwasher safe and they can even add style or theme to your drinks like the tropical mojito above. Seems like a no brainer to us.

 

 

4. Replace cling film and foil with beeswax wrap.

Saving bees and food at the same time, put it to the test - it’s great and it works! Another way to reduce your reliance on cling film or shrink wrap is to use reusable tupperware to store food or pack lunches. 

 

 

5. Use socks instead of bubble wrap to store glassware and wine bottles. 

Replace your plastic bubble wrap for socks, blankets or t-shirts to wrap your glassware and wine bottles for storage. Alternatively fold down the boxes they arrived in and put them to one side to reuse one you need to stow glassware. 

 

 

6. Bring your own shopping bags.

(Surely most of us do this already? No excuses)

But go one step further ditch the plastic bags all together by using reusable produce bags. A good habit to get into is to make sure you always have one in a convenient place, for example always keep a mini one in your backpack or handbag. Alternatively keep some readily accessible for when you leave the boat so you never forget them. 

 

 

7. Recycle on board

It’s not always easy, but it can be done. Install recycling bins, and find out which ports and marinas have recycling facilities.

A great resource to use is the Blue Flag foundation. Any marinas that are members of the Blue Flag should have recycling facilities in their marina. When you can, try to choose a marina that has these facilities, making it easier for you to recycle. You can view map of Blue Flag marinas on their website here. 

Space is always at a premium on a boat so you can install a can crusher on board to crush cans and reduce the space that recycling takes up.

 

 

8. Go green in the bathroom.

Cotton buds are some of the worst in terms of plastic that ends in up in the oceans. Some companies have introduced paper replacements or even bamboo and organic cotton alternatives. 

Don't stop there though, you can use am eco-friendly toilet cleaner such as our Toilet and Washroom Cleaner and hand soap. Use recycled loo roll and sustainable shower gels made from natural ingredients. Bars of soap are better for the environment as the come in less plastic packaging.

Here's a few more quick ideas below. 

1. Buy toothpaste without micro-beads

2. Use natural soaps and shampoos

3. Go wild and use bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic.

 

 

9. Buy locally and independent.

Avoid food miles and support the local community. Go to markets for produce, shop from independent suppliers, let’s all make sure the local community also benefit from our presence. Furthermore who doesn't love fresh seasonal fruit and veg or locally caught fish.

 

 

10. Wash on the cold or on the eco-cycle.

If you calculate how many loads of washing you do on board, you may dramatically improve your environmental footprint by, changing the cycle setting, wash with only full loads and use laundry liquids that wash well on 30 degrees.

 

There you have it some easily implementable ideas to help you become more sustainable in the interior of your yacht.