Industry Environmental Impact Reduction Actions

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1	INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REDUCTION ACTIONS
2		Disclaimer : This is a summary of sustainability actions that have been identified sailing teams, workshop events and research. The reduction opportunity has been stated if known with the source of the data. In most cases there is only 1 data point and so the practice would need to be reviewed per case for whether that same impact reduction would be possible.
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4	THEME	SUGGESTED ACTION	CASE STUDY	WHY DO IT ?	QUANTIFIED IMPROVEMENT (if available)	END GOAL

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6	MATERIALS	Use biobased composites for all peripheral composites where the weight/strength ratio can be higher ex cradles	Porsche GT4 Race Car gets a more sustainable interior	The production of parts made from ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ has a 85% lower CO2 footprint than that of thin-walled monolithic carbon fibre parts with equal stiffness and weight. (BComp, 2021)	Up to 85% reduction in CO2 emissions (BComp, 2021)	100% CIRCULAR INPUT MATERIALS
7		Use of recycled carbon fibre to make moulds and tooling	Gen2Carbon	Moulds can represent up to 50% of the impact of the build of an IMOCA construction (11th Hour Racing Desig & Build Report, 2021) but they can be built using lower impact materials.The 36th America's Cup British Challenge recycled their AC35 moulds and added 10% of this rCF to make the moulds for their AC36, which gave 25% reduction in CO2 emissions. More than 10% rCF and the benefit was lost as rCF absorbs more resin than vCF. (Michel Marie)	<10% CO2 emissions of vCF (Gen2Carbon, 2019)
8		Use biocomposites to make moulds and tooling.		The production of parts made from ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ has a 85% lower CO2 footprint than that of thin-walled monolithic carbon fibre parts with equal stiffness and weight. (BComp, 2021)	Up to 85% reduction in CO2 emissions (BComp, 2021)
9		Use alternative materials to make non-strucutral, removable parts	11th Hour Racing Team Design and Build Study (to be publised December 1st)	The IMOCA Jauge 2021-25 favors the use of alternative materials for non-structural, removable by removing them from the lightweight measurement up to a limit of 100kgs. The production of parts made from ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ has a 85% lower CO2 footprint than that of thin-walled monolithic carbon fibre parts with equal stiffness and weight. (BComp, 2021)	Up to 85% reduction in CO2 emissions (BComp, 2021)
10		Use alternative materials to make structural parts	Bamboo Mini 650	Alternative materials are starting to be used in prototypes to replace glass fibre composites. Alongside the Mini 650 Bamboo example the Race Around is also proposing a Bassalt Fibre Class 40 which will be 100% recyclable, based on GS4C work which has already produced a Bassalt Fibre Mini-650.
11		Use recycled PET core	Armacell ArmaForm	An LCA comparing recycled PET core by Armacell shows that recycled PET is better than virgin PET core in all LCA categories, and best in class for reducing CO2 emissions (30% less than Virgin PET core)	30% reduction in CO2 emissions and reductions in all LCA categories compared to virgin PET core (Armacell, 2015)
12		Only use sustainably sourced timber ex FSC or PEFC certified.		Sustainably sourced timber ensures that the wood you have used is replaced and therefore makes the product CO2 neutral (excluding processing and transport impacts).
13		Use alternative to Acetone when possible	MerConcept & iBiotec	Breathing high levels of acetone can cause throat and lung irritation and tightening of the chest. Accidental ingestion of products containing acetone can lead to nausea, vomiting and inflammation of the mouth (Public Health England). A variety of companies offer alternatives for Acetone.
14		Use low or zero VOC paints		Health effects of VOCs may include: > Eye, nose and throat irritation > Headaches, loss of coordination and nausea; > Damage to liver, kidney and central nervous system; > Some organics can cause cancer in animals, some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.
15		Avoid BPA in resins		Biobased resin contains lower amounts of Bisphenol A (BPA) than epoxy resin. BPA is classified in the EU as a substance that : > causes toxic effects on our ability to reproduce (Repr. 1B); > may cause respiratory irritation (STOT SE 3); > causes serious eye damage (eye dam. 1); > and may cause skin allergies (skin sens. 1). Source : European chemicals agency
16		Use biodegradable hydraulic oil		Biodegradable hydraulic oil can offer the same technical properties as petrochemical-based oil but, in the event of a spill, results in much lower impacts to the environment (Panolin, 2020). It can also reduce your carbon footprint Panolin Carbon Footprint Calculator	36% + reduction in CO2 emissions (Panolin, 2021)
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18	WASTE	Work with suppliers to reduce packaging waste.	11th Hour Racing Team Design and Build Study (to be publised December 1st)	By speaking with your regular suppliers you may be able to find joint solutions to reduce packaging waste. CDK, 11th Hour Racing and Gurit joined forces to send back and reuse the cardboard rolls that the Carbon Fibre was delivered on, resulting in a net avodiance of 1 Tonne CO2e and a net saving of €4500.	1 Tonne CO2e + €4500 in savings/year (11th Hour Racing Team, 2021)	ZERO WASTE
19		Engage waste provider on end of life for materials		On choosing a provider you should ask what happens with each waste stream and ensure that the maximum amount is recycled in the region you are based, or at least in the same country, you should also confirm how waste should be separated for maximum recycling.
20		Identify solutions for complicated end of life materials.	MerConcept and Paradoxal Surfboards Dyneema Reuse	Many waste providers won’t accept materials such as soft or contaminated plastics. However sometimes independent recyclers can be found with some local research or sometimes upcycling solutions are available.
21		Prioritise Re-Use	The Givebox, Lorient	Before it goes in the bin think whether it could serve someone else or another team. For example, in Lorient The Givebox collects items that have served their purpose for one team but still offer value to another.
22		Find specialist plastic recycler (plastic often contaminated)	Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18	Boat building produces a significant waste stream of soft single use plastic film which is hard to recycle and can be location dependant. Southern Spars NZ have a solution in place and IMOCA are investigating options with GDE Recyclage
23		Recycle Carbon Fibre
24		Re-Use Carbon Fibre Prepreg Scraps	LRBAR Sustainability Report 2016	Up to 30% of carbon fibre is wasted in the manufacturing process, reusing prepreg scraps to make smaller or non-structural parts, or as an input for another industry, greatly reduces this waste.
25		Use a female mould only and no plug.	Team 11th Hour Racing sustainability report (2020)	A recent study of an IMOCA showed that the use of a female mould only and no plug can save 1.6% CO2 emissions which equals 8.5 Tonnes CO2	8.5 Tonnes CO2e (11th Hour Racing Team, 2020)
26		Reduce waste through automation	Leyton LCA (2018)	If the option is available, it has been shown that carbon waste can be reduced by 20% through automated cutting (Green Guide to Composites 2004)	20% waste reduction (Green Guide to Composites, 2004)
27		Design for deconstruction		Making sure that a mould can be deconstructed easily can make recyclability of some materials easier. For example, if timber is used for moulds cover it in teflon non-stick film rather than seal it with resin so that the timber can be separated cleanly and recycled.
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29	ENERGY & GHG EMISSIONS	Use a 100% green energy provider or onsite generation	Team 11th Hour Racing sustainability report (2020)	The recent Life Cycle Analysis by 11th Hour Racing Team on their IMOCA build showed that switching to renewable energy throughout the build (compared to the average European energy mix) could reduce construction CO2 emissions by 30%.	Up to 30% reduction in CO2 emissions from build (depending on location) (11th Hour Racing Team, 2021)	NET ZERO EMISSIONS
30		Implement energy efficiency guidelines	The Ocean Race Industry Survey (2021)	> Achieving ISO 50001 certification for Energy Management > Undertaking an energy audit and implementation of an energy management plan > Adding energy saving fittings and fixtures and improving insulation > Prioritising low energy technology > Using LED lighting
31		Use materials with lower curing temperatures	Persico Workshop 2016	Lower curing temperatures reduces energy consumption.
32		Source locally		Sourcing locally can avoid transport of materials and the associated GHG emissions, as well as support the local economy.
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34	ENABLERS	Collaborate with other composite industries	Armel Tripon collaboration with Airbus	Using a waste stream from another composite industry, such as the aerospace industry, as an input for a boat construction would divert carbon fibre away from landfill and provide the marine industry with a zero impact input material.		INDUSTRY RECOGNITION FOR SUCCESSFULY NAVIGATING THE TRANSITION TO A LOW CARBON AND CIRCULAR FUTURE
35		Implement rule changes that require teams to include sustainable innovation into their boat constructions.	IMOCA Class Rule Changes 2021-25	Rules are the most effective way to ensure sustainable actions happen and there is industry support for this action. 75% of The Ocean Race survey respondants felt that The Ocean Race shoudl use its Notice of Race to accelerate change (The Ocean Race, 2021)
36		Undertake LCA on all constructions of boats and parts.	Veolia LCA (2010), Team 11th Hour Racing LCA 1 (2020), Leyton LCA (2018), MarineShift360, IMOCA Class Rules 2021-25,	If LCA is done during the design process it can help designers and teams make choices that will reduce the build impact. Currently LCA is often done alongside the build. This doesn’t reduce the environmental impact, but it does help you (and the industry) understand where the biggest impacts are, and this can help guide decision making in the future.
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