SEARCH
SEARCH
Home
Chevron
Sustainability
Chevron

Prevent

Prevent water pollution

Black and white drawing of a ship sailing through water, leaving a dark, wavy shadow or wake behind it.

Reduce Water Pollution

It’s a scary statistic that one litre of fuel can pollute one million litres of water, but the majority of pollution is actually not from catastrophic oil spills, in fact 95% of oil and fuel pollution in the water is from everyday sources.  As boaters, we can do our bit to ensure that we minimise the impact on our environment.

What can I do?

Prevent – Undertake regular checks of your engine, gaskets and fuel lines, and deal with any leaks straight away. Place a drip tray under your engine. Avoid overfilling when refuelling and transport oil and fuel in suitable containers.

Clean up – If a leak has occurred, then only use absorbent pads to soak up the spill. These will be classified as hazardous waste so please make sure you will dispose of them correctly to avoid contaminating the water.

Consider – Use a fuel collar and a large enough funnel when refuelling, check the engine bilge for oil before pumping, use an absorbent sock to remove oil and fuel in the bilge and install an inline bilge filter.

The Green Blue has a whole raft of useful information about how to #STOPTHESPILL, view it here.

Person scratching head looking at a surreal scene of a giant dripping sandwich inside a shoe with smoke rising from it.

Antifouling paint

It may have some benefits in keeping our boats clean and helping prevent the spread of invasive species, but unfortunately, the majority of antifouling paints are incredibly toxic to aquatic life and concentrated amounts are often found in areas where paint removal occurs.

A bird is watching a stationary ship docked by the shore. The sky is cloudy, and two other birds are flying nearby.

What can I do?

Make wise choices when it comes to paint selection, consider more environmentally friendly alternatives, place sheets down to collect any paint debris and dispose of any waste correctly. To help choose the right paint for your vessel click here.

Cleaning onboard

Most cleaning products contain ingredients that are harmful to marine life but small changes can help us reduce our environmental footprint.

What can I do?

Clean green! Try to use only fresh water and a good scrubbing brush to clean your boat. Avoid ingredients with polyethylene (microplastics) and choose phosphate-free detergents.

A black and white drawing of a hand holding a spray paint gun, with paint droplets spraying from the nozzle.

Recycle & reduce

I don’t think any of us can fail to be horrified by the sheer amount of rubbish we see daily, in the waters and washed up on our beaches and riverbanks. We can all make a difference by following best practice when it comes to recycling and waste, on land or in the water.

A black and white penguin standing beside a teal recycling symbol, which displays three arrows forming a triangle.

What can I do?

  • Avoid single use packaging.
  • Donate unwanted sail cloth and rope and make use of the good recycling facilities at marinas and refuelling stations.
  • Don’t throw anything overboard, including food. Did you know that it takes orange peel at least 2 months to biodegrade in water?
  • Avoid bow stickers that can peel off and fall into the water.

Click below to continue the campaign and learn how we can be more CONSIDERATE:

BACKCONSIDER CHOOSING GREENER

Resources from The Green Blue


Antifoul Best Practice Leaflet

For enquiries, call us:
+44 (0)1732 223 650
For a boat insurance quote
GET A QUOTE

From the helm

News, true stories and expert insights from the HK-J crew

MORE NEWS

Why insure with HK-J?

Boat insurance, shipshaped around you

Useful Links

©2024 Howden UK Brokers Limited
Haven Knox-Johnston is a trading name of Howden UK Brokers Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority No. 307663. Registered in England and Wales under company registration number 02831010. Registered Office: One Creechurch Place, London, EC3A 5AF. Calls may be monitored and recorded for quality assurance purposes.
Instagram
LinkedIn