Sustainability

Why it matters to us

We race, we coach, we sail year-round out of Milford, CT. The Long Island Sound is our backyard and our livelihood. We've seen firsthand what plastic pollution and runoff do to the water we love. If the ocean suffers, sailing suffers. It's that simple.

Most sailing gear companies don't talk about this. We think that's a problem. We're not perfect — but we're committed to being honest about where we are, where we're headed, and what we're actively doing to improve.

Ocean plastic removal

Every order placed on Sailing Store contributes to the removal of ocean-bound plastic. We partner with certified cleanup programs to ensure that real, verifiable plastic is pulled from coastlines and waterways — not just offset on paper. You'll see the "Removes Ocean Plastic" badge on products where this directly applies.

Packaging

We ship in recycled and recyclable mailers and boxes. We don't use bubble wrap, foam peanuts, or virgin plastic fill — ever. Where products need protection, we use paper-based alternatives. We're continuously reducing the size and weight of our packaging to cut emissions in transit.

What we put in our products

We're a founder-led company with a chemical engineering background — so we actually read what's in the stuff we sell. Our own-brand products like Sunny Sauce™ and Slick Boat™ are formulated without PFAS, parabens, petroleum, or synthetic fragrance. We choose non-nano zinc oxide for UV protection, natural waxes over synthetic coatings, and biodegradable formulas wherever performance allows.

For third-party gear we carry, we vet brands on quality and durability — because gear that lasts is the most sustainable gear there is. We don't carry throwaway products.

The long game

We're a small company. We can't solve everything at once. But we're committed to a few non-negotiables: no PFAS, no petroleum in our own formulas, no virgin plastic packaging, and real ocean plastic removal on every order. As we grow, these commitments grow with us.

We publish our footprint honestly — including the parts we haven't figured out yet. Read our full footprint page →