We asked Giverny Elliott of M/Y AWOL about what convinced her to make the move towards eco-friendly products, the challenges she faced and her hopes for the future.
“After a test period during the season,
we made the change.
We now use about 95% eco-friendly
products for the interior.”
WHY DID YOU ADOPT AN ECO APPROACH ON AWOL?
I believe it is truly each individual’s responsibility to make the changes that are necessary to maintain a World we are proud of. This applies to every aspect of life and sustainability affects large parts of our lives.
I think that a lot of people are simply not aware or educated about the changes that they can make; it’s not that they don’t care.
When you see beautiful waters and sea life and understand that without it, we wouldn’t even have jobs onboard – you understand that it is definitely OUR responsibility to protect it.
Imagine how many yachts you see floating on the clear waters of The Lerins Islands…. think about how many of those boats are using dishwashing liquids, laundry detergents and other chemicals that are destroying the marine life there. Now, imagine if every yacht was using products that were not harmful to the seas!
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF CHANGING TO ECO?
At first it was difficult to persuade the boss that eco-friendly products could be luxury and high-quality too. However, this turned out to be a success in the end when I was given a ‘trial’ season and even managed to persuade guests to change habits in their own homes (for example vinegar replacing softener for their laundry). We now use about 95% eco-friendly products on the interior (guest products, crew products, laundry, pantry, galley).
Another challenge I found was that not all suppliers/countries could offer eco-friendly products and for reasonable prices. I worked around this by ordering in bulk pre-season with EYS, calculating how much I would need to get through the season.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR THE FUTURE?
With an international mind-shift amongst companies and individuals to be more eco-friendly friendly, our goal is to continue to set the example as a yacht for how luxury industries can be leaders in environmental friendliness and sustainability. Ultimately, I would love to see the yachting industry with compulsory laws about eco-friendly products being used onboard all vessels.
