Waste

Don’t throw any rubbish overboard and ensure that there are no things on the deck that could fly away to the sea. It may feel harmless if a little piece of a plastic goes overboard, but it can cause real harm to the marine life. Ensure all loose things are tied or cleared away from the deck when wind starts blowing and things get rough.

Surely organic matter is ok in the sea? If it’s literally cuts from a fish that is going back where it came from, it’s likely to get consumed pretty soon. But it’s good to know that other organic waste takes long time to degrade, like orange peels can take up to 6 months to break down and meanwhile can litter seas and beaches.

Biodegradable plastics are no better because they need heat to compost, the sea is simply too cold for that. Please keep them away from the sea too.

Energy

Minimise motor time when you can on a sailing boat. There are times when you can’t avoid this for safety reasons, and it’s up to the skipper to decide when the motor is needed. Pure wind power is the best source of energy, use it when you can.

Be considerate of excess use of non-safety electricity for lighting and hot showers, especially if the electricity is produced by running the boat engine.

Cleaning and personal products

For personal hygiene products, choose natural and biodegradable ones without chemicals, and favour products that come without plastic packaging such as soap bars or bottles that can be refilled.

Sunscreen, very important when at sea to protect oneself. Equally important to choose one that has not got harmful chemicals for marine environment because they can induce coral bleaching, impair photosynthesis of algae and can decrease fish reproduction among other issues. Better sunscreens are mineral or zinc-based blockers. Additionally stay in shade at the hottest time of the day, wear sunglasses, hat and protective clothing.

Kitchen and heads cleaning products, favour natural and biodegradable ones and refillable bottles. Better for you, better for the environment.

Reduce landfill waste

Minimise any plastic onboard. If you need to have water bottles onboard, think if you can have larger ones or fill containers instead of buying lots of small bottles. Prefer fruit and vegetables that is sold and can store without plastic packaging.

At a marina, recycle your waste if recycling facilities are provided.