We are committed to reducing our plastic usage and waste.
Each year, an estimated 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enters the world’s ocean from coastal regions. That’s about equivalent to five grocery bags of plastic trash piled up on every foot of coastline on the planet. All that plastic is causing harm to the creatures that live in the ocean, from coral reefs smothered in bags, to turtles gagging on straws, to whales and seabirds that starve because their bellies are so jammed with bits of plastic that there’s no room for real food.
At Ventus Sailing we don’t take these facts lightly and are doing our bit to help. We hope to encourage those around us to do the same. We’re a young company, so realise we might not get it right every time. If anyone has any ideas or advice they’d like to share with us on ways we can be even more environmentally friendly, please let us know! Email, call or find us on social media to share your knowledge.
Here are a few ways in which we aim to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
Single-use plastic-free
We aim to remove all single-use plastics from onboard Sidney II. You’d be surprised how many single-use plastic bottles a yacht can go through on any given race, inshore or offshore, corporate days or a simple sail in the Solent during the Summer. We will encourage everyone to bring their own refillable bottle, and if they don’t have one, we will provide one.
We will evaluate all food purchases and storage solutions to find the most environmentally friendly option to reduce our single-use plastic consumption. Ways we are implementing this now is making homemade meals stored in reusable Tupperware containers.
100% recycled plastic mooring lines
Ventus Sailing has purchased sustainable mooring rope from Marlow Ropes, made from 100% recycled plastic. Each metre of 16mm Blue Ocean Dockline uses recycled polyester (rPET) yarn wholly made from seven and a half plastic bottles. The production process for these lines uses 60% less energy, and there is a 32% CO2 emissions reduction. Learn more about these lines here.
"About 40 percent of all plastic produced is used in packaging, and much of that is used only once and then discarded." – National Geographic
Water
We will minimise the use of water and try not to waste water unnecessarily. Will do this by fitting hoses with automatic trigger nozzles and turning taps off when not in use.
Energy
We will seek to reduce the amount of energy used as much as possible, by switching off lights and electrical equipment when not in use. Taking energy consumption and efficiency of new products into account when purchasing, or seeing if this purchase could be rented or shared.
Oil and Fuel
We ensure that Sidney II is fuelled safely and responsibly to avoid spillages and pollution, and we carry a spill kit on board at all times.
“A litre of oil or fuel can pollute over one million litres of water” – The Green Blue
Maintenance and cleaning of Sidney II
We aim to use cleaning materials that are as environmentally friendly as possible and will antifoul in the designated area, collect scrapings and dispose of all hazardous waste appropriately.
Transportation
We conduct most of our activities on board Sidney II, therefore our transport is not a major concern for this policy. However, we encourage carpooling and shared taxis from Southampton Stations to our customers when arriving in Hamble. Where possible we set up messaging groups so people can organise this.
Working with like-minded people
We aim to work with suppliers and contractors who a have similar environmental policies where possible. We will in time be getting involved with beach cleanups as we sail to various places both in the UK and abroad.
Culture
It is important to us here at Ventus Sailing that we try to educate those around us on the effects of single-use plastic and other environmental issues. Any freelance Skippers or First Mates we bring in will be made aware of our Policy and educated if unaware of anything within this policy. We will never force anyone to follow these guidelines, but we really hope people will enjoy either being educated on these topics, or feel proud of their contribution.
