The Green Boater's 5 R's for Zero Waste Living PLUS 1

1. Refuse: Say no to allowing items aboard. Once on board you ‘own’ it.

2. Reduce: Purge the junk on board and focus on necessities.

3. Reuse: Prioritize and use reusable items = less onboard garbage! 

4. Recycle: Practice the first 3R’s (refuse, reduce, and reuse) then recycle as 4th step.

5. Rot: Compost galley waste and find onshore locations which accept compost.

+1 Repair: Consider repairing/restoring before replacing. This sets boaters apart!

Inspiration: A Zero Waste Boat?

I discovered Bea Johnson and her best selling book, Zero Waste Home, when foraging through online stores for products to include in a Green Boater Products Kit. How little I knew about the zero waste lifestyle. But equipped with google, TED talks, IG, Twitter and email - I tore up the internet learning all that I could from Zero Waste Lifestyle practitioners. Adding to the list of names topped by Bea Johnson were Heather White (Intentionalism), Kathryn Kellog (Going Zero Waste), Shia Zu (Wasteland Rebel), Megean Weld (Zero Waste Nerd), Jonathan Levy (Zero Waste Guy), Anne-Marie Bonneau (Zero Waste Chef), Celia Ristow (Go Litterless), Manuela Baron (Girl Gone Green), Kathleen Roland (Zero Waste Wanderess) and Lauren Singer (Trash is for Tossers). BUT. What about those who can speak to a Zero Waste Boat lifestyle?

That list of names simply does not exist. Yet. One thing I know about boaters. They are passionate about their craft AND they love the ocean. I have always maintained that boaters are the first line of defense when it comes to the war against ocean pollution.

So why not dig deeper into Zero Waste practiced ashore and re-purpose that knowledge onto the water and into the hearts and minds of boaters. Starting with me. An experienced boater. But a TOTAL newbie at zero waste living. Call me zero-waste-boater-patient-number-one.

This blog is dedicated to my journey of discovery and learning as I aim to move from a ‘normal’ consumer of all things boating towards a dedicated Zero Waste Boater.

So….help.

Do you have any Zero Waste tips, ideas or practical advice for this aged student - that could be applied directly to the boating lifestyle?

I do not know what I do not know. Yet. And with my 50 Foot trawler tied off in winter moorage - this is a perfect season to step back, assess what I am currently doing aboard, and see what low hanging fruit can be tackled towards a Zero Waste Boat lifestyle.

Bruno
The Green Boater
@thegreenboater