How can yachts reduce their carbon footprint onboard? 

The interiors landscape has transformed in the yachting industry in recent years and sustainable solutions are now thankfully at the top of the list of priorities when it comes to decking out even the most luxurious of superyachts. Mark Boddington, founder and chairman of furniture design studio and workshop Silverlining thinks technology has made a significant impact. “We can now craft bespoke pieces that are celebrated for their design and craftsmanship while incorporating innovative, sustainable materials that were previously out of reach,” he explains. “For example, we now use plant-based leathers and alternatives to plastic and carbon fibre advancements that simply weren’t possible 40 years ago.”

Sustainable innovation is central to the approach at Silverlining, with a team dedicated to material innovations and even ‘Innovation Fridays,’ a time for all team members to experiment with no barriers. “We also work closely with partners like Bangor University’s Bio-Composites Centre to explore sustainable techniques for processing wood and plant fibres,” adds Boddington. “Sustainability and luxury can coexist beautifully. Natural materials like straw, flax, cork and rattan, abundant in nature, can become sophisticated finishes in the hands of expert craftspeople.”

The importance of the sustainable story 

There are plenty of those over at Winch Design, a design studio responsible for some of the most iconic superyacht interiors in the world. Their in-house sustainable materials specialist, Alex Parkinson has noticed a client base with a greater environmental conscience than ever before. “We have seen a shift in clients asking the right questions and looking at where materials are sourced from,” she explains. “We believe that a material becomes more beautiful and indeed more valuable when it has a story of innovation and regeneration behind it.” She cites ‘Corals’ made from egg shell, waste-negative ‘terrazzo effect marble’ made from offcut timber waste and leather dye derived from olive leaves as examples of new, innovative and often waste-negative materials that have been incorporated into the main materials library at Winch Design.

Pinatex, a natural textile made from waste pineapple leaf fibre is another one on the yachting interiors watch list. “After the pineapple harvest, the plant leaves that are left behind are dried naturally in the sun,” explains Parkinson. “Following a purification process, the resulting fibre gets mixed with corn-based polyactic acid and undergoes a mechanical process to create Pinafelt, a non-woven mesh which is then coloured and top coated to look like rare leathers.” How’s that for a sustainable story?  

Parkinson also points to 3D printing technology, which she says are “a big factor in allowing furniture and accessories to be printed in sustainable materials, with zero wastage and less energy consumption.” In fact, Silverlining has recently showcased an exterior range that was 3D printed in ceramic. Bio fabricated materials are yet another interesting area of innovation. “This emerging field is turning to biology and collaborating with organisms like fungi, algae, yeast and bacteria to grow everything from fabrics and alternative leathers to materials for furniture and beyond,” says Parkinson. Watch this space.  

Innovation into action

In 2020 Winch signed Water Revolution Foundation’s Code of Conduct, designed to unite the industry in a drive for change. “I have regular check-ins with them,” says Parkinson, “specifically on the key materials we use on yacht projects certified through their extensive scientific verification processes.” The team also sends out sustainable credential questionnaires to their large network of suppliers to find out about their environmental policies and social sustainability. 

The team is currently working on ‘Flexplorer 146’, an explorer yacht primed to become a case study in educating the industry on sustainable interior design. “Using only natural, non-toxic, or eco-friendly materials, the interior will embody the natural world, favouring practices that create low levels of EMF [electromagnetic fields] and materials with low VOCs [volatile organic compounds] to deliver a clean-living environment,” says Parkinson. Green materials will be used on board including carpets made from reclaimed fishing nets, as well as a green living wall made from preserved moss. “We want to continue to raise the bar for sustainability within the superyacht and luxury design industries. Not just internally but for our whole supply chain,” adds Parkinson.  

Similarly, Silverlining’s last three yacht commissions – all over 90 metres – had a sustainability brief. Materials used included indigenous, locally-sourced woods, plant-based leathers and natural textures and finishes. “Sustainability is the catalyst to innovation and our clients are pioneers who want to drive sustainable technologies,” says Boddington. “The superyacht industry is like an incubator business which mainstream industry then reaps the benefits from.”