Starboard Boats aims to use our presence on the canals of Amsterdam to drive positive change in the city’s tourism industry.
Since our launch in 2018, Starboard Boats has always regarded sustainability and limiting our environmental impact as much as possible to be of the upmost importance. We want to ensure that others will enjoy the beauty of Amsterdam’s canals for generations and the protection of the environment in which we operate is always taken into consideration. By teaming up with a range of partners, we are working to mitigate our impact on the environment.
From taking small steps such as ensuring waste produced on the boat is recycled, to our monthly ‘Plastic Fishing’ trips, we want to reduce waste and help to clean up the city’s waterways wherever possible. Using non-polluting electric boats for our tours is also a key part of our sustainability policy.
Canal Cleanup
Our monthly fishing trips in collaboration with WeWork, Sandemans NEW Europe and other partners are a great way to enjoy an afternoon out on the boat, build team morale and clean up the plastic waste that is dropped into the canals.
After scooping up the plastic waste in our nets, we pass it on to our partner company Sharepack. This brilliant company turns the waste plastic into everything from office lamps to clocks and children’s toys and even souvenir key rings for our guests! This is a unique way of turning something negative, such as the tons of plastic waste that ends up in the canals annually, into something beautiful. Also these objects act as a reminder of the importance of dealing with waste in a responsible manner.
Amsterdam recycling with Starboard Boats
The central canals forming the UNESCO heritage site are centuries old and almost 4 million people take to the water each year on canal boats to enjoy their historic charm and picturesque beauty. As tour providers, it is important that we take our share of responsibility for our beautiful canals so that they can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike for centuries to come! Starboard Boats and our partners are leading the way in ensuring that this is the case and are constantly looking for new ways to make positive change through working with partners.
