“One of the biggest industry challenges today is that many of the products designed and produced are too difficult or expensive to take apart and recycle when they are no longer in use. We are proud to work with a visionary company like Vaan to address these challenges, and to contribute to the first fully recyclable yacht. The yatch is built with our 100 per cent recycled aluminium, consisting of 75 percent post-consumer scrap,” says Marijn Rietveld, Director Offshore and Marine in Hydro.

The new yacht addresses one of the biggest challenges of modern production: How to make sustainable products. In the leisure boat industry, few boats are recycled when they are no longer in use. Every year, 78,000 boats are scrapped and burned in in Europe, causing large CO2 emissions. Less than 3 percent are being dismantled.

The Vaan yacht is made from circular materials that can be recycled when it is no longer in use. A key material in the Vaan R4 is the Hydro 75R alloy, made of minimum 75 percent recycled post-consumer metal, which is now used at sea for the first time.

Designed for disassembly

To improve the percentage of materials that go back into recycling, products need to be designed with a full life-cycle perspective in mind starting at the drawing board. This idea is new to the marine leisure boat industry, with the Vaan R4 representing a future-oriented approach.   

 “The yacht industry is quite a traditional industry where sustainability is not a top priority, which is why we wanted to make a luxury yacht with no negative impact to the environment. Developing a truly circular solution requires collaboration along the entire value chain. Hydro’s expertise has been invaluable in making this a truly circular product with recycled aluminium,” says Igor Kluin, founder and CEO of Vaan.

In addition to aluminium, the yacht is made of other natural materials, such as lyocell (an alternative to silk), a plant-based alternative for leather made of pineapple leaves, cork, linen, and certified wood.

For more information, images and/or interview requests, please contact:

Ina Strander John, Communication Manager
ina.strander.john@hydro.com / + 47 47613277