Environmental Sustainability in manufacturing

The efforts boat manufacturers are making toward environmental sustainability go beyond trendy talking points. Companies are making long-term investments that require intensive research, planning and dedication.

Manufacturers advocate for sustainability by supporting clean up events, habitat restoration and other conservation programs. And while these are impactful and important efforts, there are other initiatives underway that require greater commitment and operational changes.

Companies are advancing research into sustainable materials, optimizing manufacturing efficiency, recycling and reducing waste and developing cleaner power solutions, and there are multiple reasons why.

Many of these efforts reduce costs and increase operational efficiency. They are also a response to evolving standards and regulations.

Additionally, according to a Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, “Consumers have made up their mind about sustainability, and they are willing to pay a premium for it. In our February 2023 survey, more than 70% of respondents said that they were willing to pay more for sustainably produced goods ‘to some or to a great extent.’”

Sustainable practices are appealing to consumers; they boost brand reputation and attract new audiences.

So numerous manufacturers are streamlining operations and developing clean power solutions while ensuring they closely track environmental impact factors to gauge changes. To understand the depth of their commitment , Boating Industry learned how Brunswick Corporation and Yamaha Marine are putting sustainability into practice.

Yamaha Marine has committed to achieving carbon neutrality in its operations by 2035 and in its products by 2050. Brunswick Corporation aims to achieve zero waste to landfill at 40 facilities by 2030, reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 30% by the end of 2025, and provide 60% of electricity from renewable sources by the end of 2025.

“Although recreational marine only contributes about 0.7% of greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, all sectors must take part in efforts to limit climate change impacts,” said Jennifer Koenig, chief sustainability officer at Brunswick.

What are Scope emissions?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organization (emissions associated with fuel combustion in boilers, furnaces, vehicles). Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling. Scope 3 emissions are the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organization , but that the organization indirectly affects in its value chain. An organization’s value chain consists of both its upstream and downstream activities.

Sustainable operations

Improving energy efficiency in manufacturing is an effective way to reduce emissions and operating costs quickly. Both Brunswick and Yamaha have made this a priority.

Brunswick’s Boat Group and Mercury manufacturing facilities have converted to LED lighting, which uses about 60% less energy than fluorescent lighting. At the Mercury Marine facility in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, the team has completed LED lighting upgrades across various plants and operations over the past four years. The company estimates new LED lighting has resulted in a combined electricity cost savings of over $200,000 per year.

LED lighting was also one of the first changes Yamaha made, along with preventative maintenance scheduling and proper building insulation. And while operations teams have long been part of manufacturing success, their goals have evolved. Today, these teams also evaluate the carbon impact of the machines within their facilities.

Brunswick conducts routine energy audits and has implemented recommendations like adding light sensors, automating temperature controls, detecting leaks, optimizing system pressure , or transitioning away from compressed air tools. Yamaha has also implemented automated controls across its facilities and equipment, reducing overall energy consumption.

Solar power

Brunswick currently has nine buildings with onsite solar arrays, and two more under development . These arrays generate 10-40% of the electricity required by each building and, combined , produce 2.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power about 240 U.S. households for a year.

Three Yamaha facilities in the U.S. also use solar energy, including its headquarters, Wave- Runner facility, and Bennett Marine facility. “As things progress, solar will likely roll out into more locations,” said Joshua Grier, sustainability program manager of Yamaha Motor, noting the improving life cycle of solar panels.

Brunswick has invested in two community solar development projects to help add electricity to the U.S. grid through virtual power purchase agreements.

The 5-megawatt Ledgeview Community Solar Project in Wisconsin, developed by Alliant Energy in partnership with Mercury Marine, became operational in 2024. It includes more than 12,000 solar panels and can generate enough incremental solar energy to power about 1,300 homes annually. Brunswick is also a partner in Vesper Energy’s 600-megawatt Hornet Solar

Project in Texas, which generates enough clean energy to power about 150,000 homes per year. This solar array began commercial production of electricity this year.

Recycling and waste management

Brunswick facilities recycle cardboard, paper, steel, and plastic drums. Pallets are reused or recycled into mulch, and electronics, lightbulbs and batteries are sent to specialized recyclers . Many of its used oils, fuels and certain hazardous wastes are repurposed for energy generation or cement kilns. One Brunswick facility even composts lunchroom waste.

Yamaha facilities also recycle scrap metal and cardboard. “At our facility in Indianapolis, I think that’s one of the cooler opportunities to talk about,” Grier said. “There is a byproduct that cannot be reused for our intended purpose, but it is collected and sent back to the manufacturer and reprocessed into a different product that they can pass on to their chain.”

Reducing plastic

Brunswick and its Mercury Marine, QuickSilver and SeaChoice parts and accessories businesses sell thousands of individual parts. Most products are not in plastic containers,

and about 1% are in rigid plastic packaging – a target for certain state mandates requiring increased recycled content.

“With Europe’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) directive and emerging U.S. state requirements regarding plastic packaging, reducing plastic packaging has become a big topic,” Koenig said. Manufacturers in other power-products industries are looking at EPR practices, working to stay ahead of potential government mandates.

Across the Lowrance and Simrad businesses, sustainable packaging is standard. Exterior primary product packaging is made from cardboard or paper, styrofoam is replaced by compostable materials and plastic bags are replaced with water-soluble polymer bags.

“Yamaha Motor has a commitment to zero waste by 2050. A big part of what’s between us and that goal is plastic,” Grier shared. “Right now, across the globe, about 80% of our waste is diverted from the landfill and we are continuously looking for ways to increase that number. That includes activities like the work at our manufacturing facilities and our engine cover recycling program.”

Sustainable materials

Dedicated to using recycled and sustainable materials in its boats, “We’ve prioritized efforts that address materials with the largest mass, or those that are most carbon intensive,” Koenig said. “For example, all Brunswick fiberglass boats have transitioned from using balsa wood in structural core components to a material called Kerdyn, which is made from recycled plastic bottles.”

The company has also worked with its supply chain to increase the use of recycled content in aluminum. In 2024, about 40% of the aluminum used in Brunswick’s aluminum boat brands was sourced from recycled content.

Lund Boats is transitioning to a sustainable material, working towards a wood free lineup. “We also continue to work with partners towards developing an alternative to fiberglass and resins that meet the performance specifications for the harsh conditions under which boats operate,” Koenig said.

Mercury Marine has used 100% recycled content to cast engine parts at its Fond du Lac facility for more than a decade. The recycled content in aluminum components manufactured outside of the U.S. for larger horsepower engines increased from 26% in 2021 to 34% in 2024.

Yamaha currently uses cellulose nanofiber (CNF), a sustainable material derived from renewable wood sources, in its jet boat and WaveRunner lineups, and for the covers of its 1.9-liter engines. “It’s the one we’ve made the most progress with,” Grier explained. “On the motorsports side, the same material has been used in other applications, so as far as bringing it further, I can’t speak to that, but it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Environmental sustainability initiatives

In addition to sustainable operations, both companies are dedicated to making impactful conservation efforts.

Brunswick partners with industry associations, research institutions, and government entities. It works with REMADE to explore opportunities for design, for disassembly and end-of-life recycling. It also works with the Aluminum Association to measure the carbon footprint of key alloys, and with the Advanced Casting Research Consortium to understand the availability of future scrap metal and maintain its use of recycled metals. Brunswick is also one of the partners working with the European Boating Industry to develop the first marinespecific life cycle assessment (LCA) tool.

Yamaha Rightwaters, founded in 2019, unifies all of Yamaha’s sustainability efforts. It supports cleanups, invasive species removal through fishing tournaments, and oyster reef restoration , working with non-profits and research organizations. Yamaha Rightwaters has just under 50 partners and is beginning to expand globally.

Under the Yamaha Rightwaters umbrella, the company partners with universities and non-profits like the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), Ducks Unlimited, and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.

In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Yamaha supports habitat restoration and conservation . Its work with the CCA varies by state, from oyster restoration to invasive species removal projects.

“We’ve actually had a lot of success in getting dealers involved with the Yamaha Rightwaters program,” Grier said. “Lots of those cleanups, we’ve had dealers present at those. We end up working with dealers when it comes to partnering with different organizations; they need someone who can service their engines or answer a question for them.”

The Brunswick Foundation and Brunswick businesses also contribute to marine conservation and restoration, partnering with organizations that focus on marine research, fish and wildlife conservation, plastic and debris removal, or oyster and mussel bed development.

Alternative power solutions

While product development doesn’t fall directly under the umbrella of sustainable manufacturing, the advancement of cleaner power solutions plays a crucial role in the industry’s broader environmental impact.

Several factors contribute to CO2 emissions in the marine industry, with the use of internal combustion engines (ICE) being the most significant. While cleaner power technologies are in development, further advancements and infrastructure are still needed to support widespread adoption.

Technological improvements are especially necessary in battery power density, and Koenig expects alternative propulsion solutions are still years away from broad use.

“While electric automobiles present a potentially viable option on land, the case is not the same for moving a large boat across water, as the energy requirements are much greater,” she explained.

However, electric power proves to be viable in certain segments today. “We see electric propulsion as an important yet niche part of our portfolio. Mercury launched the first Avator Electric Outboards in 2023 and expanded the product line in 2024.”

Today, Mercury offers five electric outboard sizes ranging from the 7.5e to the 110e. Koenig noted that these engines are well-suited for powering smaller recreational vessels like pontoons , runabouts, skiffs and RIBs. “Beyond electric for lowpower propulsion, it is too early to predict the significance of other options.”

She shared that utilizing sustainable fuels, for example, will require the establishment of a distribution network that reaches the 10,000 marinas in the U.S. and others around the world.

Grier added that demand for sustainable fuels remains low because there are no strong incentives for manufacturers to develop and distribute them at a high volume.

Despite this, both manufacturers addressed the issue of the existing fleet of ICE-powered boats. “The turnover for those boats is not fast,” Grier said. “It can range from 10 to 20 years per boat. If we can swap that gasoline with sustainable fuels, whether it’s biofuel, things that are derived from different kinds of feed stocks, we can cut carbon emissions tremendously without having to reinvent the wheel.”

However, sustainable fuels still have a long road ahead. Grier acknowledged the perception that sustainable fuels offer only partial emissions reductions compared to cleaner technologies like electric.

“Electrification has certain emissions that are not necessarily included in apples-to-apples comparisons to fuels. For example, electricity is only as clean as the grid is,” he added. “It’s also important to consider the emissions created from battery creation. There are many moving parts.”

Alternative power solutions come with development challenges and environmental trade-offs. According to Grier, the greatest challenge for hydrogen-powered engines is the lack of infrastructure to support them. Still, Yamaha is preparing for that future. In 2024, the company introduced its first hydrogenpowered outboard, the Yamaha H2.

“The long-term vision for propulsion is all about a multitechnology solution,” Grier said. “Basically, a different kind of propulsion technology for every use case. Internal combustion where it makes sense, hydrogen where it makes sense, electric where it makes sense.”

As manufacturers work to make each solution viable for the marine industry, their success is increasingly tied to the development of a supportive ecosystem. Significant challenges include the scarcity of charging infrastructure, potential grid impacts from increased demand, and the need for a skilled and qualified workforce in these segments. Without these developments, even the most innovative electric boats will face significant adoption barriers.

Grier concluded that, in addition to developing environmentally safe products, OEMs must communicate the state of the industry to regulators. “There’s an open communication between a lot of them on where things are, what the emerging technologies are going to be, and what those emerging technologies need in order to succeed.”

The value of sustainability in manufacturing

“It’s a tough challenge,” Koenig echoed. “That’s why it is important to focus on other areas where both environmental and financial impact can be made, including the use of energy, management of wastes, and selection of raw materials. When thoughtfully and strategically addressed, these areas represent opportunities for manufacturers to reduce costs while reducing their carbon footprint.

“Brunswick’s guiding philosophy is to focus on sustainability initiatives that create value either by reducing costs or through introduction of next products,” she added. “The introduction of Avator provided an additional product opportunity or propulsion method for some dealers. Beyond that, our initiatives are more internally focused on efforts like reducing energy use, increasing product circularity and generally improving the carbon footprint of our products and operations.”

“One of the key things with sustainability,” Grier noted, “if you really want people to buy into it, you need to not only explain why it matters but then make it as seamless for them as possible.”