The Little Ship Club is both a recreational boating club and a popular waterfront bar and bistro on beautiful North Stradbroke Island. Little Ship Club has a rich history dating back to World War 2 as a Naval Auxiliary Patrol with the not-for-profit Club itself forming in 1951. The Club is an important part of the Straddie community and is popular with boating enthusiasts and visitors from all walks of life. Little Ship Club came on board with the ecoBiz program in 2020 and has been making great waves of progress since.
Running a tight sustainable ship
Maria Anderson, the Club Commodore and a board member, was instrumental in Little Ship Club joining the ecoBiz program. As a successful small business owner, Maria fully understands that implementing sustainability practices is an integral part of business.
Maria explains, “Sustainability should just be business as usual. It just makes good business sense. The reductions we’ve made in energy and waste have reduced the Club’s expenses dramatically.”
Maria has driven the eco initiatives at Little Ship Club and is steering the Club on a very sustainable course. Following an ecoBiz report and recommendations, some of the achievements include:
- Separating waste into three categories – general waste, recycling and cardboard paper. This has resulted in an annual saving of around $5,000.
- Halving the amount of general waste.
- Installing a 40khw solar system leading to a 50% decrease in bills.
- Switching to energy efficient LED lighting with timers.
- Progressively upgrading and maintaining the extensive refrigeration cold rooms and air conditioners.
The feedback from Little Ship Club members has been overwhelmingly positive. Maria continues, “The members got very excited. They love it. We all have a passion for North Stradbroke Island and the natural beauty that surrounds it. Our members appreciate and value the environment. Looking after it is a privilege.”
ecoBiz is Little Ship’s sustainability anchor
Little Ship’s commitment to sustainability was already evident. They just needed some support and guidance from ecoBiz. Together, they plan to continue to evolve the Club in the sustainability space because they know it’s great for their very special part of the planet – and for reducing expenses. Not-for-profit businesses know this better than anyone.
The final word comes from Maria Anderson. “While I could see the ecoBiz program would be beneficial from a financial point of view, the fact the club has a large number of older members is a bigger consideration. They want to know they’re leaving the planet in a better way for our children and grandchildren.”
