Habits are hard to change

Sailboats may be propelled by nature, but regatta parties aren’t kind to the planet. Sailors for the Sea, which works with the boating community on environmental awareness, received input from Kiwi event organizer Evita Zarina:

One of the biggest insights has been how much education is still needed around sustainable event practices. While many sailors are enthusiastic and committed to reducing waste, we still see contamination in recycling and compost stations. This has highlighted the need for even better signage, clearer waste sorting stations, and more volunteer support to guide people through sustainable waste disposal.

Another eye-opening moment was the impact of the Wash-Not-Waste reusable cup/plate initiative. Over the course of the event, we washed around 800 reusable cups. If these had been single-use plastic cups, the number would likely have doubled or tripled, as people tend to throw them away instead of reusing.

Seeing such a tangible reduction in plastic waste reinforced the importance of offering sustainable alternatives rather than just asking people to change habits. – Full report