The Polish shipyard Sunreef Yachts Eco is focusing on sustainability when building its ships. According to the company, it now also uses recycled plastic from PET bottles.
According to the shipyard, Sunreef Yachts Eco stands for a comprehensive approach to yachting, which aims to improve energy efficiency and sustainability in all areas.
As part of this initiative, the shipyard’s research and development team is integrating recycled PET bottles into the production process for the yachts’ composite superstructures. This innovative use of structural foam made from 100% recycled PET materials represents a significant step towards more environmentally conscious yacht building, it says.
Sunreef needs 600,000 PET bottles per yacht
The recycled thermoplastic core is said to offer numerous advantages, including high resistance to process temperatures, exceptional chemical resistance, strong adhesion and mechanical properties. Crucially, it is fully recyclable, which is in line with Sunreef Yachts Eco’s commitment to sustainability. Around 2.4 tons of this foam core is needed to build an 80-foot sailing catamaran, which is equivalent to recycling around 600,000 PET bottles, according to the shipyard.
After the natural fibre composite, this is another milestone in the shipyard’s ongoing efforts to redefine the standards for environmentally friendly yacht building.
With its eco-catamarans, Sunreef Yachts takes a 360-degree approach to environmentally conscious sailing with eco-friendly propulsion solutions, natural finishing materials, intelligent energy management and new technologies. This includes a proprietary integrated composite solar energy system that powers the latest range of solar catamarans.
The design also incorporates ultra-light, customised batteries, an innovative air conditioning system, wind generators, non-toxic bottom paints, environmentally friendly composite structures and advanced water production equipment.
