Exclusive yacht club combats plastic ocean waste
The Costa Smerelda yacht club has created an environmental charter which calls on sailors across the world to fight plastic pollution in the ocean. The exclusive Sardinian club, established 50 years ago by the Aga Khan, is publishing the charter at a conference in Milan this week. The charter aims to commit yacht clubs, marinas and other groups to reducing marine waste, with  proposals include the elimination of single use plastics, adoption of renewable energy, preservation of water resources and marine habitats, and ethical and responsible behaviour.

One of the most exclusive yacht clubs in the world has drawn up an environmental charter to ask 150,000 sailors across the globe to reduce plastic pollution in the ocean.

The Costa Smerelda yacht club in Sardinia, established by the Aga Khan 50 years ago, is publishing the charter to cut plastic waste at the One Ocean Forum conference. International sailing organisations have signed up to support the document which will be disseminated to 150,000 sailors who compete across the world.

Riccardo Bonadeo, commodore of the club, said there was a need to raise awareness among sailors, people who live on and use the coast, and the wider public, about the need to reduce plastic waste and adopt more environmentally friendly marine practices.

The charter aims to gather a commitment from yacht clubs, their members, marinas and other ocean users to adopt a set of principles and actions to reduce marine waste.

Oliver Schwall, managing director of the Sailing Champions League which has contact with individual national leagues across the world, has signed the charter. “Behind the Sailing Champions League and the International Sailing League Association are up to 300 sailing clubs from 15 countries who have more than 150,000 members.

“This give us a great opportunity to make the ideas of the Charta Smerelda known throughout Europe,” he said.

The charter will be published at a conference run by Costa Smerelda yacht club in Milan on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Bonadeo believes there has never been a more pressing time to promote its message which includes:

eliminating single-use plastics

preserving water resources

protecting and preserving marine habitats

adopting renewable energy

adopting ethical and responsible behaviour during boating and sailing and

raising public awareness of marine litter and pollution and the need to reduce it.

Data from the Ellen MacArthur foundation show the scale of marine pollution. The foundation in a report in 2016 revealed that every year more than 8m tonnes of plastic are leaked into the ocean. Up to 40% of the world’s oceans are heavily affected by human activities causing pollution, loss of coastal habitats and depleted fisheries, according to the UN’s sustainable development goals. By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by weight, according to the Ellen MacArthur foundation.



New figures revealed by the Guardian showed a million plastic bottles are bought across the world every minute. By 2021 purchase of plastic bottles will rise by 21% to 583bn bottles across the world.