Pilgrim Magnetic Island is EarthCheck certified!

It is in a sailboat’s nature to be self-sufficient. From recycling to serving locally-sourced, sustainable
ingredients on board, Pilgrim Magnetic Island is always striving to sail side by side with sustainability.

​After over 14 years of operating as a premium tour provider on the island and continuous efforts to be
as sustainable as we can be, Pilgrim is proud to have finally received the verified EarthCheck certification in August 2024.
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What is earthcheck?​

EarthCheck is a globally-recognised, science-backed business benchmarking, advisory, and certification group for sustainable travel and tourism. The process of becoming an EarthCheck certified business is a rigorous one, involving diligent tracking of waste output, energy use, and other factors calculated in a business's carbon footprint.

Becoming EarthCheck certified was a big milestone for us, but the effort was not as much of a challenge as it was second nature. In fact, sustainability has “always been embedded in what we do,” notes Clare.

Clare and Paul have been eco-conscious business owners ever since Pilgrim’s start in Sydney Harbour in 2010. However, they didn’t monitor their carbon footprint or had any accurate statistics to back up their sustainability efforts and to keep them on track.

It wasn’t until 2021 when the Queensland Tourism Climate Action Plan offered tourism operators  a carbon footprint calculator that we gained a clearer picture of how sustainable the business really was. From then on began our formal commitment to sustainability.

At the same time, Australia was slowly coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions eased, social gatherings flourished, and Australians began to travel again. 

During the pandemic, Pilgrim was still sailing the island waters as Queenslanders came to Magnetic Island for “staycations”. At this time, food and drinks were served in disposable platters and cups to avoid the spread of COVID-19. 

But with tourism returning to its pre-pandemic state, removing disposables out of the picture was the next big step for Pilgrim, as well as a “big relief,” notes Clare.  

Following the switch from disposable plates, platters, and cutlery, Clare and Paul renewed the solar panels on Pilgrim, which power everything on board from the 12-volt fridge to recharging the batteries, to make them more efficient.

In 2023, the Townsville Brewery, whose beer is served on board Pilgrim, switched their beer packaging to aluminium cans, which we understand to be a more environmentally friendly alternative to bottles.

A lot of what is seen on board Pilgrim is the result of meticulous behind-the-scenes work at Clare and Paul’s house, which Clare makes sure is aligned with our sustainability goals. This year, we built a  shed at the back of the house, fitted with its own solar panels, plumbing, refrigeration, and plenty of storage space. Next to the shed is a pumpkin patch where Clare is growing her own pumpkins for her famous pumpkin chutney (if the wallabies don't get to them first!), and behind the house is a small herb garden where Clare grows basil, tomatoes and mint. ​

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EArth Check vs Eco Certified: What's the difference

Other sustainable tour operators may display an EcoTourism certification rather than EarthCheck, but what’s the difference between the two?

Both certifications require the business to adhere to a set of sustainability standards, however we understand the EarthCheck certification process is much more exacting and has more quantitative criteria. 

In the process of getting EarthCheck certified as well as a general practice, Pilgrim Magnetic Island is very diligent with daily data collection. Each quarter, we measure all kilowatt hours of power used at the shed, the house, and the marina, as well as solar panel power generated, so that we know our exact and our net energy consumption. We also track every litre of fuel in Pilgrim and the cars, the amount of water used when filling the water tanks on Pilgrim, the amount of waste generated after each cruise, and every single wine bottle and beer can recycled each quarter. 

Additionally, while both EarthCheck and EcoTourism are Australian companies (both are based out of Brisbane), companies across the world could be EarthCheck certified around the world, whereas EcoTourism is only recognised in Australia. 

“I think EarthCheck allows you to articulate it clearer to people that you care and you are doing something about being sustainable, but it also ensures that you are held accountable,” says Clare. “It’s not just something that you’ve completed and you’ve ticked it. You constantly have to come back and continually improve it as well.” 
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What's next for pilgrim magnetic island?

Our sustainability efforts aren’t one and done now that we’re EarthCheck certified. When it comes to sustainability, there is always room for improvement and new ways to lessen our carbon footprint.

Clare is excited about introducing new and improved sustainability practices, such as increasing use of solar power and making Pilgrim more energy efficient.  

“My big one is that I want to start implementing sustainable food practices,” she shares. 

Sourcing and supporting local is one of Pilgrim’s cornerstones. Not only does sourcing locally ensure fresher, better quality ingredients but it reduces food miles which, in turn, reduce the carbon footprint of the food and the business. 

Clare wants to take ‘supporting local’ to the next level by introducing something called ‘sourcing privilege’. 

“There are certain products that are grown all across Australia and there are certain products that only grow in the Tablelands or only grown here, and they’re unique to the region,” she explains. “They’re fresher and they grow better because they’re designed to be here. I want to start looking at how we can find those special, unique products that we can showcase on our platters.”

An example of ‘sourcing privilege’ in Queensland would be mangos. 

“We need to figure out a process that allows us to embrace the fact that the best mangos in Australia are grown down in Bowen,” adds Clare. 

The only challenge with implementing seasonal recipes such as mango chutney (a yummy spin on Clare’s classic pumpkin chutney) onto the lunch and sunset platters is that the time it takes to test the quality and sustainability of a recipe is not enough to get it ready for presenting on the platters during the season. 

Eventually, Clare also wants to grow her own produce. While pumpkins and herbs are a start, the goal is to include tomatoes, passionfruit, lemons, and limes in her garden harvest. 

Another part of food sustainability is managing food waste. Luckily, a community program on Magnetic Island called BioRegen is offering a solution by converting food waste into a soil improver. Once the program is open again, Clare plans to bring food scraps and waste from Pilgrim to them to then be converted into "party juice" for her garden. 

Sustainability is a continuous journey of improvement, and while the EarthCheck certification has been a proud achievement, there are still plenty more milestones to look forward to.

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