Shrink-wrap recycling: When you protect your boat, think green this white winter
Print
EmailPrograms for recycling non-biodegradable shrink-wrap from boats is a better means of disposal than having it enter into landfills never to break down.
For those who live in coastal or lake communities in Michigan, the sight of blue or white packages perched upon trailers is common, this time of year, as boats are winterized and parked or stored. The process of boat winterization – where the engine and fuel tank is prepared for a long and cold period of non-use and the rest of the boat is cleaned and covered to prevent damage – often includes the use of shrink-wrap to cover the boat. For boats stored outside, shrink-wrap use can be necessary to prevent damage, but can have negative environmental impacts if disposed of in landfills.
One of the most negative impacts shrink-wrap has on the environment is that it takes up a lot of space. Shrink-wrap from one boat can weigh 15 pounds or more depending on the size of the boat, and with over 800,000 boats registered in Michigan in 2012, according to National Marine Manufacturers Association, there is potential for a large amount of shrink-wrap to end up in landfills. Once in a landfill, the non-biodegradable shrink-wrap will continue to accumulate and take up space without ever breaking down in the soil. The space shrink-wrap occupies in landfills could be used for other garbage, and its presence means that more landfills will be needed to dispose of our garbage in the future.
Recycling shrink-wrap is one way to prevent it from getting thrown into a landfill. In Michigan, marinas have made great attempts to reduce the amount of shrink-wrap that enters landfills by participating in recycling programs. According to Michigan Sea Grant, over 50 marinas in Michigan participated in some sort of shrink-wrap recycling program, which resulted in 115,000 to 200,000 pounds of shrink-wrap from entering landfills each year. Participation in shrink-wrap recycling by marinas resulted in $250 to $700 in savings because marinas did not have to pay for additional waste collection services. The Michigan Clean Marina Program is working to increase the number of participants in shrink-wrap recycling, and is working with county programs as well as non-profits and industry manufacturers of shrink-wrap.
The Michigan Clean Marina Program is a cooperative effort of the Michigan Boating Industries Association, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and Michigan Sea Grant College Program (Michigan State University Extension and the University of Michigan). Boaters who want to stay at a Michigan Clean Marina can find one by visiting the Location page of the Michigan Clean Marina website. In addition, marinas who want to learn more about the program can read about it on the Michigan Clean Marina Program website or may contact Erin DeVris, Michigan Sea Grant program coordinator at edevries@umich.edu, or Michigan Sea Grant Extension educator Mark Breederland at mbreederl@msu.edu.
Michigan Sea Grant helps to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s coastal, Great Lakes resources through education, research, and outreach. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and its MSU Extension, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of 34 university-based programs
