County Brings Back Boat Shrink-Wrap Recycling

Parsippany boat owners, Morris County has news for you: The annual boat shrink-wrap recycling program is back. 

In an effort to keep boat shrink-wrap out of the trash, the Morris County
Municipal Utilities Authority and the Morris County Park Commission are partnering for the fourth year in a row to conduct a free recycling program for the material.

The Park Commission will host a collection container for boat shrink-wrap at Lee’s Marina County Park on Lake Hopatcong from March 15 to June 30. Officials say the program is an effort to keep boat shrink-wrap out of the trash while allowing boat owners to protect their boats and other marine vessels from harsh winter weather.

Boaters and marinas routinely use plastic shrink-wrap as a cost-effective material used by marinas to shield boats from the rain, snow and sunshine. A problem arises, however, because shrink-wrap does not degrade and often ends up in landfills to take up space.

“Dumping the shrink-wrap in a landfill simply adds to our trash problem,” said Liz Sweedy, a senior recycling specialist with the MUA. “Recycling keeps the material out of landfills and is a much better option.”

According to Sweedy, the program has been well-received over the past four years.

“We’ve found boaters and marina owners want to help protect the environment and have welcomed this program,” she said. “Since this program began in 2008, more than 43 tons of boat shrink-wrap has been collected and kept out of landfills.”

Shrink-wrap can be dropped off in a collection container at Lee’s Marina at 443 Howard Blvd. in Mount Arlington.

If you are a boat or marina owner who uses shrink-wrap, officials say to remove all doors, vents, rope, ribbon strapping, labels and
any other non-shrink-wrap materials. When the wrap is dry, it should be rolled up on a clean surface and tied into a bundle. using a strip cut from the end of the wrap as a tie.

The recycling container will be open between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. every day during the collection period.

More information about the program may be obtained by calling the MCMUA at 973-285-8394.