In addition to the usual self-care and personal development New Year resolutions, how about making this year’s resolution a sustainable one? Making small, smart changes to your boating habits can have a significant impact on the water and surrounding environment in which you spend your time.
Here are a few easy and realistic changes that you could start today:
1) Stop the spill by installing an inline bilge filter on your boat. You should always check the engine bilge for oil before pumping out. Install a bilge filter to automatically remove any oil in your bilge. Visit The Green Blue Business Directory to discover bilge filter products.
2) ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ – Always follow the ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ routine after spending time on the water. This is the best way to protect both your stretch of water and others around the UK from invasive non-native species.
3) Join a webinar hosted by The Green Blue. Find out more about how to make your boating sustainable, discuss anchoring best practice and learn interesting facts about the wildlife habitats that lie beneath the water.
4) Ask your club and Registered Training Centre about their Environmental Policy. A policy outlines an organisation’s commitment to minimising its negative effect on the environment. If they don’t yet have one in place you can direct them to the policy guide on The Green Blue website.
5) Marine Environmental Facilities Map – Planning a trip in 2022? Not sure about the local facilities available? Visit this new online resource to locate the nearest harbour/marina with environmental marine facilities including; pump out stations, recycling and freshwater refill points.
6) Lower your energy emissions. Consider using alternative power sources such as electric and bio-diesel engines or swap to low energy electrics, including LED lighting or solar and wind energy. Check and service your engine too – fresh oil, clean spark plugs and dust free air-filters all help to lower emissions. Again visit The Green Blue’s online Business Directory for more sustainable marine products.
7) Stay up to date with all the latest news, trends and events from The Green Blue by subscribing to The Green Blue bi-monthly e-newsletter and by following @TheGreenBlue on Facebook and Twitter, and @The_Green_Blue on Instagram.
