MDL Marinas commits to sustainability with the launch of its new Green Strategy

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new Green Strategy, committing to sustainability and focusing on the prevention of environmental issues through education and innovative eco initiatives.

The UK has an ambitious target of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We’re committed to supporting this, and our Green Strategy is the beginning of a journey to make us the UK’s most sustainable marina group, developing a culture of environmental awareness and care amongst our customers and teams.

Demonstrating our commitment to protecting the natural beauty of our marina locations and the marine ecosystem, our strategy incorporates current practices and activities with forward thinking ideas that are flexible enough to be developed alongside changes in government policy and marine related legislation.

“We’re proud of everything we’ve achieved so far, but we know there’s more to do as a marina group, and as part of the leisure marine industry,” says Tim Mayer, our sales and marketing director. “We’ve committed to being part of the solution through our new Green Strategy, which sets out our plan to navigate to #greenermarinas. Through the use of our hashtag, we want to help educate anyone who comes to our marinas on best environmental practices, both ashore and while out boating.

Prevention is always better than cure, and a massive part of this is making it as easy as possible for people to follow the guidance, such as ensuring the appropriate recycling facilities are on hand and clearly labelled, or that people have access to the right information on marine related issues, including how to help stop the spread of invasive species.

Working with our supply chain, on-site businesses and berth holders, as well as various industry bodies and environmental organisations, including The Green Blue, Blue Marine Foundation, British Marine and The Yacht Harbour Association, we’ve made huge strides forward with its sustainability initiatives to operate with as minimal negative impact on the environment as possible.

What have we achieved so far includes:

Harnessing Solar Energy

Since 2018, we’ve been investing in solar panels to efficiently convert the sun’s energy to be used on-site. We’ve now got close to 1,000 solar panels on buildings at five of our marinas, which in 2020 generated 120,346 Kwh of electricity. Live data from the solar panels is now displaying on our website including lifetime energy generated, total CO2 emissions saved, and equivalent trees planted.

Renewable Energy

All the electricity we don’t produce and needs to purchase comes from 100% renewable sources. This means our customers benefit from clean, green energy that is produced in harmony with the environment, without depleting the earth’s natural resources or producing harmful greenhouse gases.

Electric Vehicle Charging Points

Over 40 electric car charging points have been installed at our marinas, to support our customers’ switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.

MDL Fitness

We’ve just launched MDL Fitness, a new range of green gyms where the innovative SportsArt ECO-POWR™ equipment harnesses up to 74% of a user’s energy spent exercising before converting it to utility grade electricity.

Waste Management and Recycling

Full recycling and waste management facilities are available at all our marinas, including hazardous waste where there’s a 100% zero waste to landfill policy. We’re increasing the amount and type of waste it can recycle, from food to ferrous metals, which can then be transformed into new products or used to generate electricity.

Examples of how we’re navigating to #greenermarinas:

More Electric Vehicle Charging Points

We’re currently upgrading our electric vehicle charging point facilities to provide additional charging points at each of our locations.

Reducing Ocean Plastics

Much publicised in the media, plastics and micro-plastics continue to be an environmental concern. We’re playing our part in helping to reduce plastic and waste emanating from our marinas through education, and the continued provision of secure waste and recycling receptables. We’ve also installed a Seabin at three of our marinas to collect litter from the water and improve water quality.

Sustainable Staff Uniform

Working with its uniform supplier, we’ve sourced and are trialling an alternative uniform for the marina teams produced from 100% recycled plastic.

Beneficial Disposal of Dredge Material

As with many marinas globally, our marinas are subject to ongoing siltation and require regular dredging to maintain water depths. We’re working with harbour authorities and councils local to our marinas to re-distribute the dredge from our sites, helping to build mudflat levels where needed, encouraging saltmarshes to re-establish, and increasing flora and fauna.

Rapid Charging for Electric Boats

We recognise that for the electric boat market to evolve, it is essential to develop a charging network offering rapid charging for smaller vessels, such as RIBs and sports boats.

With this in mind, and wanting to support our customers wishing to make their boating more sustainable and as environmentally friendly as possible, we’re aiming to become the first UK marina group to offer an electric boat charging solution across its marinas.

“Looking at how the boating industry is evolving, we’re investing heavily to support it with regards to sustainability in any way we can. We’re also investing long term in our own journey towards sustainability, tackling environmental issues and helping protect the planet,” continues Tim. “We are committed to the marine ecosystem, ensuring it’s in great shape for years to come for the enjoyment of all, and we’d like to invite everyone to join us.”

To find out more about our Green Strategy and commitment to the environment visit: mdlmarinas.co.uk/greener-marinas.

#greenermarinas