On Sunday 29 September 2019, the Silver Swan team will be in Antibes after the Monaco Boat Show with our non-profit partners – Plastic Patrol and The Green Stewardess to clean the beach at Plage du Gravette.
To support the exceptional efforts of our partners as they work towards a greener and more eco-friendly planet, we asked seven eco-awesome yacht industry pros for their top tips on how to be greener.
Name:
Lauren Ryburn – The Green Stew
Location:
Currently back home in New Zealand between jobs while my boyfriend completes his Master 3000GT ticket.
Position:
I’ve been a Stewardess in the yachting industry for 5 years now – most recently as 2nd Stewardess/Masseuse.
What moment made you go green:
Over my time in the yachting industry I have become alarmingly aware of the effects we are having on the environment. The amount of pollution that is produced and the ‘throw-away’ mentality that we have adopted as an industry is unsettling. At times I have felt completely helpless and torn between doing the job I love and doing what feels right.
Until one day, I had the realisation that I’m not helpless at all. In fact, as a Crew Member within the Yachting Industry, I’m in a powerful position where I have the ability to inspire positive change. So, I began my journey towards making eco-conscious changes within my own daily practices on-board the boats I worked on and tried to inspire my fellow crew to do the same.
I created The Green Stew with hopes of bringing yacht crew together to share knowledge and gain insight with the aim of driving a green movement within the Yachting industry! I share eco tips and tricks, product suggestions, eco practices and a whole lot more.
Eco & Sustainability Tips:
The following are some of the sustainable practices that we carry out onboard:
– Installing a water filtering system on board for portable drinking water, therefore drastically reducing our single-use plastic water bottle pollution. We also installed a sparkling water tap in the service pantry for guest water (by owner’s request). This also drastically reduced our use of plastic and glass sparkling water bottles. Not only do both of these instalments reduce our plastic waste but they also mean we save precious time, energy and storage space as we no longer have the need to provide, load onboard and store copious amounts of water bottles.
– Using reusable products onboard, such as:
Water bottles and takeaway coffee cups for guests and crew
Metal or bamboo drinking straws for guest beverages
Silicon zip-lock bags, beeswax food wraps and silicon food covers
Reusable grocery and produce bags for provisioning
– Switching to toxic-free, eco-friendly products throughout the boat, such as:
Cleaning products, some of which we make ourselves from essential oils and simple ingredients such water, vinegar, baking soda and castile soap
Natural based, toxic-free toiletry products for guests and crew – because everything we put on our bodies and wash down the sink ends up washed into the ocean
Reef-safe, toxic free sunscreen for crew and guests
– Bag-free waste paper baskets in certain areas of the boat & bio-degradable bin liners where necessary.
– Switching to bio-degradable, plastic-free toiletry products such as Q tips, facial wipes, toothbrushes (Bamboo), tooth floss & sanitary items (tampon applicators etc)
– Sustainable office practices such as using recycled printing paper, using double sided printing, collecting and re-using scrap paper and switching to digital solutions for certain documents.
– Using rechargeable batteries on-board instead of single-use.
– Sourcing high quality yet ethical and recycled toilet paper, paper towels and napkins, which can be found in most supermarkets are the world.
– Sourcing crew uniform from ethical and eco-friendly companies with some items made from recycled materials.
– Recycling systems on-board, including E waste, Ink cartridge and Nespresso pod recycling bins. This includes making sure all crew are well educated and informed when it comes to recycling and the use of each recycling bin on-board.
– Making conscious purchases when provisioning, choosing products without or with very little plastic packaging i.e. no singularly wrapped biscuits, chocolates and snacks, avoiding plastic packed fruit and vegetables as much as possible. Buying seasonal fruit and vegetables instead of imported or highly GMO produce – ideally organic and from the local farmers market where possible.
– Meat-free crew meals, at least once a week. The meat industry is a large eco-footprint contributor so reducing out meat consumption ever so slightly can drastically reduce our eco-footprint.
– Organising regular crew beach clean-ups. It’s a great way to bring a sense of awareness of the pollution that is washed up and left by beach goers and is also a great team building exercise!
– Not throwing ANYTHING overboard other than bio waste slops.
– Making sure ALL smokers onboard are responsibly disposing of cigarette butts and never throwing them into the ocean or anywhere but in the rubbish.
– Switching lights off in un-occupied areas, particularly when on shore power.
We as crew members are the majority. We are the driving force behind the industry, and we have an ability to come together and make a real difference. Which is why I am passionate about inspiring fellow crew to take eco-friendly approaches to the way they do things.
I believe it is absolutely vital that we break away from old traditions and the ‘throw away mentality’ that this industry has. The way many practices are carried out on-board yachts are very un-sustainable and completely old fashioned and un-necessary. We need to make drastic changes in the way we do things.
I believe that a luxurious service should not come at the cost of the planet. In fact, sustainability and luxury can both flourish in a balanced, symbiotic relationship and this should be what we strive to achieve as an industry standard.
I believe the most important habit we can adopt as crew is to view our work place through eco-conscious lenses. Asking the question with everything we do – Is there a more sustainable way I can do this? Adopting an eco-conscious culture on-board is also key to creating awareness and educating crew.
This can be done in many ways such as regular screenings of informative environmental documentaries, regular crew meetings to discuss sustainable practices and topics such as recycling, pollution and generally being eco-aware.
Additionally, Karine Rayson – The Crew Coach – and I, have started the Facebook group Conscious Yachties for yacht crew to join like-minded, eco-conscious people in the industry, to share info, discuss eco-related topics and support one another.
Find Lauren online at:
Easily browse, save & apply to all
our roles using our new online platform
– click to start using now!
