Bern/Wangen SZ – Bern-based start-up SWISS ELEMENTIC is offering its first boat wash in the canton of Schwyz. Further plants are already being planned. The goal is to build a nationwide infrastructure to protect Swiss waters.
The young Bernese company SWISS ELEMENTIC wants to protect Swiss waters with washing systems for boats. The start-up sees the cleaning of the boats as an ecological alternative to environmentally harmful antifouling paints. With regular cleaning, there is no longer any need for them, as the company writes in a media release. In addition, fuel efficiency could be improved by cleaning.
SWISS ELEMENTIC installed its first boat wash system in the spring at the Kiebitz marina in Wangen near Lake Zurich. It floats on the water and cleans the hull of the boats with different brushes. For example, algae and mussels are removed and collected in a catch basin underwater. According to the media release, more than 100 washing cycles have already been carried out in the plant. In addition, the company was able to attract “numerous subscribers”. Now, further plants are already being planned in the Bernese Oberland, on Lake Lucerne, in Seeland and in French-speaking Switzerland.
The goal of SWISS ELEMENTIC is to establish a network of car washes throughout Switzerland. To this end, the start-up is also appealing to politicians, port communities and shipyards. Among other things, it expects to provide assistance in identifying potential new sites. “By boat owners, shipyards and cantons working together, we can bring about sustainable change,” emphasizes Dominik Kägi, founder of SWISS ELEMENTIC. ce/ssp
