BE EXTRA GREEN ON A CANAL BOAT HOLIDAY
Is a canal boat holiday green?
The answer is yes, it certainly can be. Assuming you choose a company that has the environment at its heart, and you carry that ethos with you as you travel the waterways, then you can give yourself a pat on the back for taking an eco-friendly holiday.
Look for a company that uses eco-friendly cleaning products to clean both the outside and inside of their boats, uses energy efficient LED lighting, and modern low emission engines. Some even run on used chip fat!
There are over 2,000 miles of navigable canals and rivers in England and Wales, many running through long stretches of countryside where the air is cleaner, fresher and more invigorating than in the city centres. A canal boat holiday really can be an eco-friendly staycation option.
Gently cruising along these waterways is a wonderful way to get in touch with nature; look out for ducks, swans, damselflies, dragonflies, hedgerow birds and fish, as well as protected species like water voles, otters and kingfishers.
Plus, you’ll be reducing your carbon footprint in comparison to many other types of holiday. An Anglo Welsh canal boat holiday, for example, has a 20 times smaller carbon footprint than a two-hour flight. And as soon as you swap your car for a well-maintained boat, you’ll be using a third of the fuel and emitting a sixth of the pollution. Plus, by heating your water from the engine and charging your batteries while cruising, you can further reduce your carbon footprint while away.
Of course, being green isn’t just about the barge itself – it’s also about how you behave while on your narrowboat holiday, so we asked the team at Anglo Welsh to give us a few tips to help make a canal boat holiday even greener:
Recycle more – reputable boat yards offer good recycling facilities, so separate your recyclables whilst on the boat and if you miss recycling opportunities on your journey, you can dispose of them responsibly on your return.
Use green cleaning products – be kinder to the environment and aquatic life by using environmentally safe cleaning products, for example the Poddy cleaning products provided onboard. Also ensure you bring microbead free toiletries with you for your holiday afloat.
Burn greener fuels – if you book a boat with a multi fuel stove, burn environmentally friendly fire logs made from recycled sawdust and wax instead of coal.
Bring your own hot drinks cups – so if you stop off to buy a coffee somewhere on your narrowboat holiday you won’t need a ‘difficult to recycle’ disposable cup.
Reduce your use of plastic bottles – you can use water from the boat’s tank to make a cup of tea but you will need to stock up on drinking water, so we suggest bringing one large bottle or canteen, decanting it into reusable cups and topping up at water points.
Bring your own shopping bags – keep them handy for shop-stops en-route and avoid products with excess packaging.
Bag all rubbish – help keep rubbish and plastic out of our waterways by making sure all your bin bags are tied securely so they can’t spill open, and only dispose of your bagged domestic rubbish inside bins marked domestic waste.
By following these simple tips you’ll make your already eco-friendly holiday even greener. Plus, there’s the added bonus of beautiful views, close encounters with nature, and a holiday that will ensure you return home relaxed and refreshed.
FACT BOX
Anglo Welsh Holidays anglowelsh.co.uk/
For information about visiting the canal network go to canalrivertrust.org.uk
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and co-founder of PASSION for the PLANET. Chantal is passionate about responsible travel and tourism being used as a force for good. You can follow her adventures on Facebook and Twitter and on Instagram.