225 kg collected in one hour
LOVE OUR OCEANS YARD CLEAN-UP
Under a typically Dutch sky, colleagues from across Damen Yachting recently rolled up their sleeves for our latest Love Our Oceans Yard Clean-Up in Vlissingen. Some headed out onto the water in small boats, while others worked from the quay, collecting waste from the waters and shoreline around our yard. In just one hour, 225 kg of waste was collected.
The Yard Clean-Up is one of the ways we bring Love Our Oceans to life within Damen Yachting. Love Our Oceans brings together our sustainability ambitions, actions and initiatives under one shared approach, connecting the people and projects that contribute to protecting the oceans on which our industry depends.
That responsibility starts close to home. At our yards, in the way we work with our colleagues and partners, and in the choices we make every day. A clean-up like this is a simple and practical example of that idea: looking at our own surroundings, becoming more aware of the waste found there and taking action together.
“Looking after the yard and its surroundings is part of the Facility team’s day-to-day work, but the Yard Clean-Up gives everyone a chance to see what can be found in the water and do something about it together. That awareness doesn’t have to stop when the clean-up is over. Small things, like putting waste in the right bin, securing lightweight materials on a windy day or picking something up when you see it, are small actions we can all take.”
- Dennis Geertse - Facility Manager at Damen Yachting
While 225 kg is a tangible result, the value of the clean-up goes beyond the amount collected. Seeing first-hand the waste found in and around the waters near our yard helps make the issue more visible. It raises awareness, starts conversations and encourages us to think about the role we can each play in taking care of our oceans.
It also gives colleagues from different parts of the organisation an opportunity to get involved in Love Our Oceans in a very direct way. For an hour, the focus is not on plans or ambitions, but simply on working side by side and taking care of the environment around our yard.
One clean-up does not solve the wider challenge of waste in our waters. But actions like this can help build awareness and a shared sense of responsibility. And for us, that is an important part of where change begins: close to home.
"It was truly inspiring to see so many colleagues voluntarily roll up their sleeves, and work together towards a common goal. The yard clean-up not only improved our environment but also strengthened connections across departments. That sense of ownership and collaboration is essential for driving positive change throughout the organisation, and many participants expressed a desire to do this more often.”
- Minou van Veggel - Sustainability Manager at Damen Yachting
