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A Guernsey based sustainability consultancy is working with UK bodies to clean up our coastlines by recycling boats which have reached the end of their current lifespan.
The End of Life Vessel recycling project was launched by South Hams Council, South Devon College, Creekside Boatyard, and Guernsey based Blue Parameters.
Collectively they said that "End of Life vessels is a growing problem with the majority being incinerated, landfilled, or worse, sunk, at the end of their usable life" while British Marine is said to have named 'end of life vessels' as "one of the top 5 challenges facing the marine sector approaching 2050".
The pilot scheme is launching at Creekside Boatyard in Dartmouth first - where a sailing boat is being dismantled, with its parts being separated so as much as possible can be recycled.
The work started last week, with the findings from the pilot project being collated to support harbour authorities elsewhere, including in Guernsey.
Councillor John McKay is the Executive Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity on South Hams Council.
He said there are many vessels reaching the end of their lives which could become abandoned waste if they are not dealt with.
“An increase in the manufacture of recreational vessels from the 1980s means that, over the next few decades, many more will reach their end of use. Most of these will have hulls made from mixed materials such as fibre reinforced plastic," he said.
“Currently, there are few incentives for boatowners to recycle older boats due to cost and lack of specialised recycling facilities. Most vessels that have been abandoned on the water end up being salvaged and scrapped. While some components can be commercially recycled, the majority, including composite hulls, end up in land fill.
“With our focus on climate change, it is vital we look at what we can do within our District’s waters. Being able to recycle unused vessels will go a long way in achieving our net-zero targets.”
James Scott-Anderson is from Blue Parameters - the Marine Environmental Specialists based in Guernsey, which is heading up the delivery of the project.
His background is in yacht racing, and yacht building and refits.
Mr Scott-Anderson said sustainability is what drives him and is key to ensuring an environmentally friendly marine space.
“This is a significant step in tackling the challenge of End of Life and abandoned vessels, a practical solution with potential economic value. It demonstrates that for future marine sustainability, stakeholder partnerships like this one are essential to achieve the most impact and deliver the best outcome.”
South Hams Council will release a report on the findings from the pilot scheme during the summer. It's hoped that will help to raise awareness of the issues surrounding abandoned and end-of-use boats, and help further expand the project.
Anyone who spots an abandoned boat, can report it HERE.
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