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The next step to achieving clean club status is much smaller than you think.
That’s the message from the two latest clubs to join Yachting New Zealand’s pioneering environmental initiative.
Gulf Harbour Yacht Club and Pleasant Point Yacht Club this week received their one-star certification as part of YNZ’s Clean Club programme – a framework for yachting and boating clubs’ sustainability journey that was launched in December 2021 – taking the total number of certified “clean clubs” in the country to nine.
The programme focuses on five areas – administration and leadership, waste management, resource conservation, community outreach, and education - and is a progressive system moving from one star through to three stars, depending on how many best-practice criteria a club has achieved.
According to GHYC’s sustainability representative Diana Bassett, the club has made progress in many of these areas by eliminating all paper communications to members and introducing dedicated disposal stations for batteries, expired flares, waste oil and other substances.
The club has also been using only tank water and has grills placed over stormwater outlets to avoid rubbish going into the marina.
“We’re now looking at other forms of recycling – including old mobile phones. We’ve sent away about 20 phones already and are collecting more,” Bassett said.
Gulf Harbour Yacht Club have started recycling old mobile phones. Photo / Supplied
They’re already working toward achieving a second star – with a big focus on composting, Bassett said.
“It was hard finding a composting method that would help to get rid of food scraps, especially meat, but we’ve now become involved with the Hibiscus Coast zero-waste scheme called City to Farm which sees it [the composted scraps] eventually make its way into swale drains on farms to improve soil quality.”
Waste disposal also formed a large part of Pleasant Point’s application for certification – with members at the Christchurch club taking turns to take compost and recycling to their home bins.
“Soft plastic recycling is also sorted and taken to a collection point within Christchurch,” said Arthur Mahon, PPYC’s sustainability representative.
“We source our sausage rolls and pizza slices from a local bakery, who very kindly give them to us at really good prices and supply them in a cardboard box which we take back once we have them in our freezer and they then reuse for other orders.”
Pleasant Point Yacht Club this week received its certification as one of Yachting New Zealand's "clean clubs". Photo / Supplied
The response from members to the club’s efforts to be more sustainable has been overwhelming, Mahon said.
“I have received so many positive comments from people about getting involved with this programme. Many people have now offered to help us reach two stars… as they realise this is something extremely worthwhile in the current situation we live in.
“The certification means a lot for the club, and it provides an excellent foundation for us to improve our environmental and sustainability practices. Given what is happening all around the world, it is something that is very important to everyone, especially those who use the water for recreation and racing.”
PPYC is hoping to gain a second star over the winter months.
“To reach level one we had to make only a few changes from what we do every day at our club, which was great,” Mahon said.
Bassett agrees.
“Many of the things we had been doing for some time without even realising it and a big part of applying for the certification was merely about documenting what we do.
“First of all, look to see what you're already doing – a lot of stuff you might already have under way. Things like replacing your paper cups with washable ones, and several other little tweaks you can make to kick-start things. Those little changes can make a big difference.”
Yachting New Zealand's Clean Club lead Natalia Groom said she is pleased to see new clubs taking the initiative to make a difference.
“That is what makes the Yachting New Zealand Clean Club programme so unique - clubs can work towards specifically tailored sustainability goals that suit them," she said.
"As we're seeing more extreme weather events across the globe it's increasingly important that we try to make a difference on our doorstep - no matter how small."
To learn more about YNZ’s Clean Club programme, click here.
