Val Wyatt becomes first UK marina to achieve leading environmental award

17 February 2022

We have become the first marina in the UK to receive a special award for our commitment to removing single-use plastic from our site. We earned a Bronze Certification Award, as part of the Single-Use Plastic Free Accreditation, for measures it has taken to help preserve the local environment.

The Single-Use Plastic Free Accreditation is a joint initiative organised by The Green Blue and The Final Straw Foundation. Launched at last year’s Southampton International Boat Show, the new standard highlights the responsible and innovative practices and products used by organisations in the recreational boating industry.

We were among the first three businesses in the country, and the first marina to meet the standard and to secure a Bronze Certification Award. The criteria included the mandatory removal of plastic straws, single-use plastic glasses and cutlery, polystyrene food and drink containers, as well as appointing plastic free ambassadors for the organisation.

As part of our commitment to local wildlife and the environment, we recently set out targets to halve our greenhouse gas emissions before 2030 and achieve net zero emissions before 2050. Meanwhile in September, we also hosted a river clean-up in conjunction with Warriors on Waste and Go With The Flo.

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…at the heart of our operations

Lisa Anacora, Managing Director, Val Wyatt Marine, said: “We are proud to be awarded with the Bronze Single-Use Plastic Free Certification. Protecting, cleaning, and caring for our environment both locally and more broadly is at the heart of our operations. We recognise that there is still more that we can do, and we’re actively working on identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions for short to long team goals to not only eliminate single-use plastic entirely, but also to meet our net zero commitments.

“We’re delighted that initiatives like The Green Blue and Final Straw Foundation exist to help support businesses and communities to look after our rivers, seas, and global eco systems, as we know that it is only through working together and at scale that real change will be made.”

Bianca Carr, Founder of The Final Straw Foundation, said: “We are so proud to be working with such forward-thinking organisations that put the planet before profit. They’re leading the way in promoting the sustainability message throughout the recreational boating industry and we’re really looking forward to helping more organisations reduce their reliance on single-use plastic in 2022.”

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