Focus on REducing our impact
Manly Sailing Club have attained a 1 star certification through Yachting New Zealand's Clean Club programme. Our current focus is to outline future initiatives and maintain current practices that promote our goal of lessening our impact on the environment.
Waste Management:
We embody the fundamental habits of reduction and recycling. We encourage all members to actively manage their waste responsibly using three streams of disposal; recycling, compost and landfill.. At club sponsored events, we implement minimal waste core practices including: using cutlery and dishes whenever possible and supplementing when necessary with compostable disposable items. We have easily accessible recycling bins with appropriate signage and normally club members take compost from large events to their home composting sites. We hope to soon implement an Auckland Council sponsored compost program using their bins and to continue to improve our signage to help club members use the recycling and compost bins more effectively. Our food service providers supply us without using plastic packaging whenever possible. Sailors are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles to training and regattas.
In addition, all club communications are paperless. We have a digital newsletter; learn to sail notices, invoices and updates are sent either via email or whatsapp groups. For regattas or club racing days, Notices of Race, Sailing Instructions and updates are all digital. Our social media outlets (instagram, facebook) cover club happenings and upcoming events.
Resource Conservation:
Manly Sailing Club are proud to promote water conservation. Firstly, we collect and use rainwater for club purposes. In addition, the club has a mobile water refill station that is used for events and regattas. At other times, sailors are always welcome to use the filtered water tap in the club kitchen to fill water bottles. Sailors are mandated to use no more than 60 seconds to wash down boats and during regattas or large events, we have club volunteers wash down boats efficiently to prevent excess water usage. Inside the club, the toilets have cloth towels that club members take home to wash when needed.
Also, we at Manly Sailing Club endeavor to reduce wasteful electricity use. As such, light switches at the club are adorned with reminders to “Swith it Off”. We also reduce our energy usage with energy efficient appliances.
We understand our impact on the ocean extends to our choices of sun protection and cleaning products. Our youth sailing team prides itself on applying reef-safe zinc to members before regattas (in Manly Sailing Club colors). In the clubhouse we endeavor to always use eco-friendly cleaning supplies and soaps.
Finally, we keep a reuse bin in the clubhouse for members and sailors to donate their gently used gear. This gear bin enables families to pass on items to others in the Manly Sailing Club family and prevents quality items from being tossed in the landfill. Those items that aren’t of use to others at the club ultimately get donated to the local community op shop for further reuse opportunities.
Community Outreach:
We endeavor to increase the awareness of environmental impact in the local community. At a youth regatta earlier in the year, we had a beach clean up scavenger hunt activity where sailors helped clean the beach and surrounding area of rubbish. We also hold regular Manly Sailing Club Clean Up events where club members, club youth sailors and the local community come together to rid the beach of debris and work to restore the pristine boat ramp and walkway areas in front of the clubhouse. We also inspired a club member to keep the clubhouse grounds free of weeds by physically picking them instead of using harmful chemicals that would reach the nearby ocean.
Education:
The Russell Coutts Sailing Foundation operates its Learn To Sail and competitive team programs out of the Manly Sailing Club. The foundation maintains a focus on bringing the joy of sailing to young people and also teaching the fundamentals of marine conservation and environmental stewardship. This learning ranges from simple practices like consistently bringing a reusable water bottle to training and always collecting and keeping packaging rubbish on the water to be disposed of properly once on shore, to more comprehensive ideas like protecting our marine ecosystem. In the clubhouse, we also lead by example to teach club members and volunteers our sustainability best practices.
Reach out to us at [email protected]
