Morris County's boat shrink-wrap program is back, once again giving boaters and marina owners a program allowing them to protect the environment as much as their own vessels. 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 third 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. Plastic shrink-wrap is a popular and cost-effective material used by marinas and boat owners to protect boats and other marine vessels from harsh winter weather conditions, sunshine and other harmful elements. However, the material does not degrade and usually winds up in landfills where it may take up space for years, said Liz Sweedy, senior recycling specialist with the MUA. "Dumping the shrink-wrap in a landfill simply adds to our trash problem," Sweedy said. "Recycling keeps the material out of landfills and is a much better option." The collection container at Lee's Marina, 443 Howard Boulevard, Mount Arlington, will be marked for shrink-wrap. To prepare the shrink-wrap, all doors, vents, rope, ribbon strapping, labels and any other non-shrink-wrap materials should be removed. When dry, the shrink-wrap 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 shrink-wrap may be placed into the recycling container between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day of the collection program. Owners of boats or watercraft that are stored or docked elsewhere will also be able to take their shrink-wrap to Lee's Marina County Park for recycling. "We've found boaters and marina owners want to help protect the environment and have welcomed this program,' Sweedy said. "Since this program began in 2008, approximately 19 tons of boat shrink-wrap has been collected and kept out of landfills." More information about the program may be obtained by calling the MCMUA at (973) 285-8394.
