Sandusky, OH Recreational boaters and marina operators can save space at local landfills and help support Ohio roadway projects simply by recycling their plastic shrink wrap when removing their boats from winter storage. To make this effort easier, at least seven Lake Erie marinas have agreed to serve as collection points for recycled boat shrink wrap.
The project is coordinated through leadership of the Ohio Clean Marinas Program and its participating partners, which include the Ohio Sea Grant College Program, the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association and Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Boaters may bring their marine shrink wrap for dropoff at the following locations mid-April through mid-June:
Beaver Park Marina, 6101 W. Erie Ave., Lorain; Brenner 75 at Harrison’s Marina, 3840 N. Summit St., Toledo; Catawba Landing, 2021 NE Catawba Rd., Port Clinton; Geneva State Park, Geneva; Sandusky Harbor Marina, 1 Huron St., Sandusky; Spitzer Riverside Marina, 485 California Ave., Lorain; and Venetian Marina, 2035 First St., Sandusky.
During the first three years of the program, which began in 2006, approximately 720,000 pounds of boat shrink wrap was collected from more than 100 marinas in the Lake Erie region (all participating again this year) and kept out of community landfills. This amount would cover an area approximately equal to a 13-foot wide strip of plastic covering Ohio’s 312 shoreline miles of Lake Erie. When recycled, this plastic has produced 103,000 highway guardrail blocks, now protecting 120 miles of Ohio’s highways.
To further encourage boaters to bring their boat shrink wrap to an Ohio Clean Marinas collection site this season, participants also may enter a drawing to win a product gift certificate from West Marine.
Additional information on the shrink wrap recycling program and the Ohio Clean Marinas Program can be found online at www.ohiocleanmarina.osu.edu and by calling 419.609.4120.