Recycling at Castlebay Marina
Living on a small island means that the majority of waste (everything we don’t / can’t use ourselves) has to be collected and taken off island.
As a community we are striving for Carbon Neutral and trying to refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle all that we can.
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Please see below our recycling guidelines and follow them. Do not dispose of batteries, ropes, electronic equipment, oil & fuel, instead - let staff know and they will dispose of these items correctly.
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Please help us by recycling all your waste.
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Rainwater Harvesting
With Scotland’s climate, you may think there is plenty of water to go around. The truth is that less than 1% of the rainwater ends up somewhere Scottish Water has access to. There is also a huge amount of energy involved in treating and transporting water and wastewater. If we all play our part to save water then our water supplies will go much further, while reducing our energy use and protecting the natural environment.
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Barra’s water supply is taken from Loch an Duin in Northbay. The water is piped to the local water treatment works where it is treated and the clear, fresh tap water is then delivered to homes and businesses. When water runs down the plughole and drains or is flushed down the toilet, it becomes wastewater and drains, and sewer pipes take this to be cleaned and treated before being returned safely to the environment.
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A Scottish roof can collect between 45,000 and 90,000 litres of rainwater every year and, while you wouldn’t want to drink it without treatment, there are plenty of other uses for it.
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At Castlebay Marina facilities block, a rainwater harvesting unit has been installed which collects and stores rainwater from the roof which can then be used for toilet flushing, washing clothes and outdoor use.
Solar
16 photovoltaic panels are installed on the marina facilities block. They are linked to the water tank and used to heat the water used in the block.
Excess electricity is used throughout the facilities block, to charge e-bikes batteries and exported to the grid.
Managing the land for wildlife
Long grass and wildflowers are a haven for pollinators and other wildlife. We are managing the ground around the marina for the benefit of pollinators.
This doesn't not mean doing nothing; but carrying out tasks that will encourage wildflowers and a wide variety of native plants at the same time as restricting dominant/invasive species.
Litter Collection
To keep the marina a clean environment and to reduce the amount of plastics in the sea, regular litter pick are done around the Marina to collect litter that has been dropped and washed in along the shore.
Every little helps!
Active Transport
When you are visiting Castlebay Marina, from the 10th of August, we will have 4 e-bikes for hire. E-bikes are a great way to get around the island while leaving plenty of energy to walk on the beaches and climb hills.
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