Sails.

There are millions of them in circulation on our planet, and just as many heading into landfill each year.

Currently, there aren’t any formal recycling schemes to be found anywhere in the world, but many small organisations are working with sail material to make new things. Whilst these efforts are noble, it’s clear this isn’t the long-term sustainable opportunity - environmentally or economically, and legislation is now rapidly changing.

In this episode, Dr. Joe Penhaul Smith and Sam Penhaul; one scientist and one sailor, discuss the chemistry of sail material and their efforts towards recycling sails, in the most direct meaning of the term ‘recycle’.

So far, the 'clean' in Clean Sailors has meant challenging ourselves and the sailing marine industry to become more environmentally aware and sound.

For this podcast, we are looking at ‘clean’ from another perspective...

Food at sea is very much fuel and certainly morale - hot, filling, long-burn energy loaded and as quick as possible to cook. When racing, well, let’s talk freeze-dried bags and a kettle of hot water!

But how can we become more nutritious at sea, and how can we satisfy all the above, without relying on bowls of pasta, tinned beans and in the extreme cases the Pot Noodle…?

Tune in to hear sailor, nutritionist and coach, Sarah Powell, on clean cooking and eating on a boat.

Now, The Turner Twins may need little introduction. With various adventures and accolades; land, sea and sky, they’ve tried, tested, endured and pushed both themselves and resources to the maximum.

Two years ago they set out to sail to the most remote part of the Atlantic – on a second hand boat, with an electric engine, testing hydrogen cells, new antifouling technology AND whilst supporting macroplastic research as they went, on an emission-free yacht.

So how did all this new technology fare underway?

Let’s hear more from these professional adventurers, Ross and Hugo.

As we know, sails are strong and durable, built to withstand some of Earth’s toughest environments; UV light, saltwater and wind.

Made from complex synthetic materials, sails aren’t formally recycled anywhere in the world with over 97% of them heading to landfill or incineration.

But what if we used these huge sheets of hardy textiles for good?

What if we used spent sails to help shelter refugees, the homeless and those displaced by politics and natural disasters?

In this episode we are joined by Angela Abshier, founder of Sail to Shelter, achieving just that.

A worthy listen, I'm sure you will agree.

And, if you've an old sail remember to head to our ReSail by Clean Sailors platform to find your closest drop-off. Old sails can be made into new things 👍

End of life boats...

With an estimated 30,000 tons of composite waste from old boats being discarded in European landfills annually, alone, we know this continues to be an issue or an opportunity for the marine industry and beyond.

In this episode host Holly is joined by Jeroen Wats, former champion sailor and now composite revolutionist to discuss the environmental impact of composite materials and how, through his company, ExoTechnologies, he's looking at the state of art solutions to address the problem, namely a bullet-proof, lightweight, super strong and fully recyclable composite.

Now, we know since the 1950’s, GRP and FRP hulls – glass and fibre reinforced plastics, became the go-to for boat building.

These materials were revolutionary, not just for maintenance, cost and performance, but also increasing the accessibility of boats to a much wider audience.

Fast-forward several decades, and these materials; meaning thousands and thousands of boats, are at end-of life, with no formal recycling opportunities anywhere in the world….

So, what currently happens to boats when they die? And what impact are they having on the environment?

Listen in to hear Dr. Corina Ciocan - Principal Lecturer in Ecotoxicology/Marine Biology at the University of Brighton speak about her somewhat alarming research on our choice boat-building materials and our marine environments, plus our human health...

We've had a couple of conversations on the topic of end-of-life boats, notably with brilliant minds and teams who are working to create fully recyclable composites from which to build new vessels going forward.

So, what about those boats already in existence? What of those boats that are currently abandoned on shorelines globally due to no formal recycling, clear procedures, incentives or supporting legislation when it comes to end of life?

Guillaume Perben, CEO and co-founder of a Swiss based company with a global mindset aptly named ‘Composite Recycling’, joins us for this episode of the Clean Sailors podcast.

Now, the golden rule when spending time in the sun is to cover up and sunscreen up. These tips are generally the best when it comes to protecting our skin from potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays and any secondary health impacts they can cause such as skin cancer.

These tips are well known, however perhaps less known is the harmful effect that personal care products including sunscreen can have on our marine environment.

In this episode, hear Stuart Knowles, Founder of ocean-minded sunscreen, Himaya, speak about the health of our oceans, building an environmentally focussed business right through the supply chain, and the best sunscreen to be using (*clue in the title!).