Sustainable Yachting

There can be no avoiding the fact that the luxury yacht market has a difficult relationship with the growing demand for sustainable living.  The joys of yacht ownership can be tough to justify for those seeking to make as small an impact on the planet as they can, and our industry is under increasing pressure to reform in order to survive.   

However, moments such as this often are the catalyst for the most innovative solutions and push through great advances in record time.  We are beginning to witness the first changes within our industry not only in the products themselves but also in the businesses behind them.  

Here at Timage we are pushing to offer our clients a more sustainable choice, both in the products that they specify as well as in the manufacturers they buy from.  Our company ethos of offering a product built to last is one that has great environmental value and we stand against the disposable culture so common in today’s retail environment.  Many of our Italian partners are also making large leaps in terms of the sustainability of their own practices as well as keeping a focus on a green approach when it comes to new product design.  In this brief overview I will illustrate some of these great new advances and show how we are taking the lead in progressing towards a more sustainable future. 

The Products 

LaPasserella – Besenzoni 

The hydraulic gangway has become a common accessory aboard both motor and sailing yachts.  Mediterranean stern mooring prompted a drive for a safe and convenient method to board a yacht when in harbour and the product has largely remained untouched since its inception, until now.

LaPasserella by our long-standing manufacturer partner Besenzoni has rewritten the rule book.  Gone are all the hydraulic components, hoses and powerpacks and in their place a new electrical system.  Besenzoni has spent years developing this new technology, looking to other sectors for inspiration.  A handful of components have also been taken from other industries, marinised and then applied to this ground-breaking new design. 

LaPasserella, meaning simply “the gangway” in its native Italian, is lighter, quieter, requires less electrical energy and is faster to install thanks to its plug and play system than a conventional hydraulic system.  The deletion of hydraulic components also removes any risk of oil contamination.  With a choice of sustainable wooden planking or the innovative ‘Rope Deck’ walkway, LaPasserella can truly offer a more eco-friendly boarding solution with all of the same luxuries attributed to a hydraulic model. 

This new gangway is available in a number of sizes from 2 metres to 4.5 metre extension.

Sileather – Italvipla 

This innovative new material is the perfect replacement for exterior vinyl upholstery and immediately offers great advantages in terms of eco sustainability when compared to its vinyl counterparts.  The product is manufactured with a non-solvent technique and lacks any PVC or PU elements.  The production process also avoids the use of any chlorine, the finished item does not emit VOC emissions throughout its life and when the time comes to change, can be recycled. 

Sileather takes its name from the material used to make it, silicone.  In fact, Sileather is 100% silicone and therefore takes on the excellent properties of its base raw material.  In summary these are: 

• Excellent durability 
• Stain resistant 
• Abrasion resistant 
• Weather resistant 
• Flame resistant 
• Odourless 
• Skin friendly 
• Low VOCs 

Sileather is available in a fantastic range of colours and three different grain patterns.  The soft-touch nature of the product means that it is pleasing to touch and not sticky, the perfect marine upholstery solution. 

Breathair – Italvipla 

This fantastic product brings us great advances in the sustainability of both interior and exterior upholstery.  Breathair is a plastic product but, before eyebrows are raised, let me explain why it is revolutionary for the market. 

Traditionally, upholstery fillings consist of reticulated foam products and other closed-cell or open cell alternatives.  Although these products perform fairly well as a cushion filling, they do not last very long in the harsh marine environment.  Many boat users will be all too familiar with their cushion fillings turning to powder after a few years due to the combination of humidity, intense UV damage and heat.  Having to regularly change cushion fillings is not a sustainable practice.  This is where Breathair comes in.  Breathair will last considerably longer than any foam-based product.  The product can be re-upholstered many times and will not suffer from breakdown.  The product outperforms a foam on every level, offering improved comfort and support, faster drainage and drying, reduced weight and countless hygiene advantages.  Finally, when the time comes to dispose of Breathair, the product can be completely recycled.  The product never needs to be another solution destined for land-fill.   

Combine Breathair together with Sileather for an environmentally sound upholstery solution. 

Starlight LED Lighting – Foresti & Suardi 

The marine industry has been using LED technology for decades now and Foresti & Suardi has been leading this charge since the early 2000’s when the first Sextans spotlights were launched.  Today in 2021, we are all familiar with the advantages LED lighting offers including low power consumption, zero maintenance and long-life expectancy of around 30-50,000 hours.  As a technology, LED certainly has redefined what is possible with lighting whilst helping to reduce our footprint on the planet.  Foresti & Suardi spotlights are no different, offering these same great eco-friendly characteristics but with an added benefit.  80% of Foresti & Suardi lighting components are entirely recyclable.  The company has invested heavily in eco-sustainability which to them also places an importance when it comes to the item’s end of life.  As a consequence of this work, Foresti & Suardi is a member of the consortium ECOLIGHT and meets the RAEE-2002/96/CE directive for the recycling or reuse of all electrical and electronic fittings.  

The Supply Chain

It is essential to always consider the complete supply chain when choosing a product for sustainability reasons.  Often this is an overlooked point when choosing an eco-friendly car for example, as customers look quickly at headline miles per gallon figures or battery range.  How has the end product been produced and how efficient was this process?  I have touched on some of the production methods involved in the Sileather product and this is a great example of the manufacturer considering the environmental cost of production together with the item’s life impact. 

(Above - Installation of Solar Panels at Foresti & Suardi)

Many of our manufacturers have made great advances in terms of more sustainable production techniques and reducing their carbon footprint as a business.  One such example is Foresti & Suardi, our manufacturer of hardware, lighting and furniture.  Their recent acquisition of a new facility, complete with around 4000 sq m of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, has gone a long way to reducing their energy consumption.  Their energy requirements as a foundry are immense but this new manufacturing facility has brought enormous savings in energy use.  Accessories supplier Besenzoni once again demonstrate their commitment to lean and considerate manufacturing with a strict minimal waste policy within their business.  Workers are encouraged to always reduce waste and reminded with signage stating “Eliminazione degli sprechi” [elimination of waste] everywhere you look.  Our pump and horn manufacturer Marco has written a plan for a sustainable future in their business vision.  They continually look to increase awareness and involvement in environmental issues, taking control of production waste and waste management, energy consumption and emissions created during manufacture.  

It is clear from the few examples above that importance is being placed on sustainability by our supply chain.  Much more information on each individual business is available for any clients looking to gain a deeper knowledge of the impact of their product choices. 

Our Efforts

Timage prides itself on its minimal waste ethos.  Fundamentally, we must all be as efficient as possible with the materials we consume, in whichever form they come in, in order to be a truly sustainable business.  We operate an effective recycling program withing the company, choosing to either re-use or recycle all packaging for example.  We select our energy partners carefully, considering the proportion of green energy available to us and we have moved to a paper-free office with an emphasis on extracting maximum functionality from our IT systems and digital operations.   

However, the big change will come at the end of 2021 when we will move to our new purpose-built facility.  We will be putting our money where our mouth is with a sizable investment in a brand new environmentally friendly building sited in a new genre of industrial developments.  The new 9,500sqft HQ will feature all-electric heating system with an air source heat pump coupled together with photovoltaic panels for a truly ‘green’ solution.  In addition, electric car charging will be available on site as well as at the UK’s first EV charging station by Gridserve

Timage is committed to a sustainable future.  Looking at the picture as a whole, we are confident in the changes that are being made in our product range, the manufacturing process behind these items and the improvements we are making as a distributor.  Clients can be confident that sustainability forms a key part of our business plan moving forward and that Timage can support the ecological demands now present in our market.  We look forward to sharing further news on the subject as and when it becomes available!