RS Sailing are proud to be awarded the Gold Level Clean Regatta certification from Sailors for the sea, for our sustainability efforts at the Southampton Boat Show this year.
Sailors for the sea, powered by Oceana, is the world’s only ocean conservation organization that engages, educates and activates the sailing community towards restoring ocean health. They recognise that sailors see the issues that the ocean faces first-hand, from pollution, to overfishing and habit destruction. If sailors from all around the world could unite in embracing environmentally responsible behaviour and sustainable work practices, we could really have a big influence.
The core team at RS Sailing are life-long sailors who love being on the water. We’d like to think we’ve developed some great boats for people like us and for the next generation of sailors, so we want to do our part to protect the environment we all enjoy sailing in. RS Sailing has, therefore, implemented a Sustainability Programme – analysing, improving and publicising recyclable aspects of our boats, recyclable packaging, clean energy sources, almost paperless office functions, our operations and waste recycling.
Other actions taken to consciously limit our environmental impact at the show included fuelling the team working on the stand with food and drinks not wrapped in single use plastic, as well as providing everyone with a reusable water bottle to fill up at the various water stations around the show. With the edition of a coffee machine on our stand this year, it was important to us that all staff were given a reusable coffee cup and customers enjoyed our great coffee in biodegradable cups. We of course had a recycling bin on the stand and banned the use of plastic bags, instead using canvas bags for runs to the shop.
Outside of the show environment, sustainability is a key mission throughout the build and supply process for RS. As a pioneering business on the MarineShift360 scheme, the entire brand lifecycle is currently being evaluated to make improvements to the efficiency and sustainability of every aspect of production and delivery in an attempt to create improvements at every level. Changes already implemented include the use of recycled materials in the build process, use of bio resins and packaging in plant derived content materials prior to delivery. As market leaders, we view this as an ongoing programme, the job will never be done. We aim to continually improve and to set the sustainability standard within our part of the sailing industry which we hope others will follow.