SHDC make more moves to increase vessel recycling

A clean marine environment remains "high on the agenda for South Hams District Council" as they "now look to expand their work in the recycling of abandoned vessels across South Hams’ waters". 

A big part of the council’s drive to reduce climate change includes looking at marine activities across the district and finding ways to reduce carbon emissions and water pollution.

Boats are being regularly reported as abandoned, sunk or stranded within the Dart, Salcombe-Kingsbridge and Yealm estuaries. This is having an environmental and financial impact on the marine community. Therefore, the Council has identified these end-of-use vessels as an area of ongoing concern within the South Hams.

Back in Spring 2024, the council worked with Creekside Boatyard in Dartmouth and industry partners to dismantle a sailing boat that had reached the end of its useful life. They then looked at ways to recycle or reuse as many component parts as possible.

The Council has now released the findings from the innovative recycling project, a first of its kind.  The pilot successfully demonstrated that a novel piece-by-piece disassembly, recovery, and recycling approach to dealing with end-of-life boats is both achievable and time efficient. Component parts ranged from stainless steel rigging and bronze winches to the boat’s engine and electronics. Almost 1,500 kg of Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) composite was also recovered.

Whilst there is currently no commercial recycling solution in the UK for the composite used in boat hulls, the project team were delighted to be able to recover and clean contaminated GRP fibres for the first time from a small section of the boat using an innovative process known as DEECOM®. Going forward, they hope that these fibres can be re-used to create an upcycled product.

Work will now continue as the council explores future opportunities with partners and local waste management specialists to address the issue on a larger scale. 

Cllr John McKay, South Hams District Council’s Executive Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said: “This research is just the first step in our work to address the issue of abandoned vessels across the South Hams.

“We want to work more closely with our industry partners, harbour authorities, marinas and boat builders. They are the ones who feel more closely the financial and environmental impact of end-of-life boats sitting in their waters and getting in the way of their day-to-day work.  

“Projects such as these are so important and go a long way in supporting our ambitions to reduce climate change.”

James Scott-Anderson from Marine Environmental Specialists Blue Parameters said: “This project has successfully demonstrated that there is a solution to end-of-life vessels, and that we have options for all kinds of composite waste, and its potential for upcycling.

“It has been a combination of expertise, resources and companies from different sectors- and using new technology, which has made this project successful. We have an alternative to landfill for composite waste which will not only benefit the marine sector, but wider ambitions to tackle climate change.

“It is also essential that we move forward and look at how the knowledge gained from this project can be used in the future, and at a larger scale.”

The project has also had the support from the Royal Yachting Association and its environmental programme The Green Blue.

Read the report and watch the Council's recent video at www.southhams.gov.uk/marine-decarbonisation

Anyone who spots an abandoned boat, can report it at the The Green Blue website.