Campaigns

Protect, Collect and Dispose

Responsible use of Antifoul Paints to Reduce Water Pollution  

To support the boating community the British Coatings Federation (BCF), The Green Blue (Royal Yachting Association), British Marine and The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) launched the ‘Protect, Collect & Dispose’ initiative and campaign in 2019 focusing on raising awareness of and providing environmental best practice when antifouling, building on the successful, award-winning DIY Safe Antifouling programme previously launched in 2017. 

During Protect Collect Dispose Campaign Week we are encouraging the boating community to get involved and support through raising awareness is the safe and environmentally sustainable use of antifoul paints. Look out for Protect Collect Dispose Week articles and posts to find out more and see how you can support the campaign below. 

Whilst antifoul paint, containing biocides such as copper and zinc, do a great job of keeping our hulls clean, and even have some environmental benefits such as improving fuel efficiency due to less drag from fouling and preventing the attachment and spread of invasive non-native species, they are toxic to aquatic life. Therefore, as a boating community we must ensure we make more sustainable choices when it comes to selecting an antifoul coating and adopt environmental best practice when applying, removing and disposing of antifoul to minimise pollution. 

HOW TO SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN 

When applying and removing antifoul paint there are simple steps we can all take to: 

Protect the ground under our boats – use a tarpaulin and trip trays. 

Collect any drips, spills and debris using tarpaulin and vacuum sander. 

Dispose of all contaminated items and paint legally into hazardous waste bins at your local recycling centre, marina or harbour facilities. 

1. Find out more about antifoul coating options and environmental best practice you should follow. 
2. Request our PCD Poster and PCD Leaflet. 
3. Support our annual ‘Protect, Collect & Dispose’ campaign week by: 

1. • Request a PCD Campaign Toolkit by emailing us at info@thegreenblue.org.uk  
   • Share our social media posts throughout the campaign week with fellow boaters, members and customers 

Invasive species week 

22 to 28th June 2026

WHAT ARE INVASIVE SPECIES? 

Invasive Species are plants and animals from other countries that have been introduced and have become established outside of their normal habitat or native country. While most non-native species cause no harm, a small number become invasive and cause damage and disruption. 

The spread of invasive species is a major issue in both marine and inland waters around the world. They can disrupt our boating activities, compete with native plants and animals and can cause major changes to entire ecosystems. Invasive Species are one of the top 5 highest risks to world and UK biodiversity and cost the UK economy over £1 billion every year. 

The Green Blue is a proud participant in Invasive Species Week, an annual national event raising awareness of the problems caused by invasive species and what we can all do to help.

You can support this campaign week in the following ways: 

• Follow @TheGreenBlue and use #InvasiveSpeciesWeek on social media and help share our posts throughout Invasive Species Week (22- 28th June 2026) to increase awareness of invasive species and guidance on how recreational boaters can help prevent their spread. 
• Request a Check Clean Dry Awareness Kit for coastal or inland boating venues. The kit contains outdoor A3 metal signs to display and posters to help raise awareness amongst members and customers. 
• Find out more about invasive species and how to ‘Stop the Spread’ by following the Check, Clean, Dry biosecurity guidance to remove them from your craft, equipment, clothing and structures: 
• Link to Guidance (Boat User Guidance, Club Centre and Association Guidance and Marine Business Guidance)

Boating Wildlife Aware Week

As boaters we are always delighted to encounter wildlife when out on the water or when ashore, be it dolphins riding the bow wave, a group of seals and their pups resting on a rocky outcrop, or a heron stood majestically amongst the reeds. 

Wildlife and their habitats in and around our marine and inland waters are under constant pressure from factors such as climate change, development and disturbance from human activity. 

Water users and the boating industry have a duty to protect wildlife and enhance the environment. We share the waters we use for our recreation with an amazing array of wildlife, and the presence of people, boats and craft should not necessarily have to cause disturbance. If boats/crafts are handled with sensitivity there can be minimal or no disturbance. 

How to Support Our Campaign

• Help us to raise awareness of the amazing wildlife we find in and along our coastlines and inland waterways and the best practice we can adopt as boaters to minimise any disturbance or impacts from our activities. 
• Support our Boating Wildlife Aware Week. Follow us on social media @TheGreenBlue on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram use #BoatingWildlifeAware. Share our posts throughout the week on wildlife facts, wildlife watching video guides and top tips for boating around wildlife. 
• Raise Awareness: Why not use our Awareness Raising Toolkit (Posters, Video Guides, Top Tip Graphics) to raise awareness amongst your fellow boaters, club members and customers. 
• Be Informed! Find out how to protect our wildlife and habitats when boating by exploring our guidance on the following: (Link to: Anchoring with Care, Boating around Wildlife and Invasive Prevention) 

#SaveOurSeabed

The #SaveOurSeabed campaign was launched in July 2020 as part of a four-year project led by Natural England known as the LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project. This exciting five-year project aims to protect, restore and reduce recreational pressures on sensitive seabed habitats like Seagrass and Maerl within UK waters. 

On a healthy seabed, vital habitats like seagrass can flourish, providing nursery grounds for young fish - including many commercially important species such as pollock, plaice and herring – offering food and shelter for protected creatures, helping to reduce coastal erosion, cleaning surrounding seawater, and capturing and storing carbon.

The Green Blue and Royal Yachting Association (RYA) partnered on this project with Natural England and other organisations including the Marine Conservation Society, Ocean Conservation Trust, Plymouth City Council, and the Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum.

Together we have been highlighting the importance of and how boat users can play a vital role in helping to protect these sensitive seabed habitats through the delivery of awareness talks, webinars and at boating events as well as developing guidance and signage indicating the location of seagrass beds so boat users can identify areas where they should avoid anchoring where possible.