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Clean Ocean Access hosting drop-off recycle events for boat shrink wrap

TerraCycle Include USA Shrink Wrap Recycling Program

These events offer free and accessible recycling to Rhode Island residents.

by Ryan M. Belmore April 14, 2021

Clean Ocean Access (COA) is calling all boaters to save and recycle their shrink wrap at upcoming drop-off events. These events offer free and accessible recycling to Rhode Island residents. Recycling your shrink wrap fuels COA’s effort to better understand and advance local recycling processes, gives your wrap a second life in new products, and preserves the capacity of the state’s Central landfill.

Join them at the following events:

05/01/21 | Second Beach, 474 Sachuest Point Road, Middletown RI | 8 AM – 12 PM
05/15/21 | ACT Farmers Market, 35 Dexter St, Newport, RI 02840 | 9 AM – 1 PM
06/05/21 | Transfer Station, 1670 Flat River Road, Coventry RI | 7:30 AM – 12 PM | Residents Only*

If you cannot make one of these events or would like to see a drop-off event in your town, contact Max Kraimer, Program Manager.

Taking Care of Business

TerraCycle Include USA Shrink Wrap Recycling Program

This nonprofit is working to make sure shrink-wrap gets recycled and reused after boats are launched

What happens to all that plastic shrink-wrap after your boatyard crew pulls it off and launches your boat in the spring? That’s the question the Rhode Island-based nonprofit Clean Ocean Access wants boaters all across the United States to ask as part of its Shrink Wrap Recycling and Life Cycle Analysis program. The program started in April 2019 and just got a boost by way of a partnership with TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based recycler that collects waste and then partners with corporations or municipalities to turn the waste into raw materials and make new things. “When we looked at it in 2019 in the United States, about 3 million metric tons of low-density polyethylene was made. That’s things like your bread bag, plastic bags—plastic you can stretch with your hands, more like garbage bags than bottles,” says Max Kraimer, project coordinator for Clean Ocean Access. About 4,000 of those 3 million metric tons is shrink-wrap used in the marine industry, he adds—a small percentage, but a tangible one.

“We think that by targeting the culture, we can better relay the information about the recycling industry and the issues of plastic pollution,” he says. Clean Ocean Access is now deploying about $87,000 from an 11th Hour Racing grant to subsidize and incentivize the creation of a circular economy for shrink-wrap—meaning that used shrink-wrap gets recycled and turned into new shrink-wrap. The idea is to work not only with services that collect the used shrink-wrap, but also to work with waste haulers who pick up the discarded shrink-wrap, squish it into blocks that weigh about 1,800 pounds apiece, and then look to resell the raw material. The cash injection is needed for this type of circular economy, Kraimer says, because right now, it’s a lot cheaper for companies making plastic products to use virgin materials instead of recycled ones. The program targeting shrink-wrap is intended to level out that economic imbalance as an example of how it might be done on a wider scale. “If enough boat owners demand recycling and enough marinas want it, then some waste hauler will want to offer that service, and we can infuse it into our project.” —Max Kraimer, Clean Ocean Access “About 10 years ago, one of those 1,800-pound blocks, they could sell it for about 15 cents per pound,” Kraimer says. “In 2017 and even today, you can sell it internationally for about 5 cents per pound. If you wanted to sell that in our country, you’re lucky to get 1 cent per pound. So we’re infusing grant money to these waste haulers, as an incentive. We’re helping to provide places where people can drop it off. And, we’re providing the incentive to the waste hauler to actually recycle it here domestically.” Dave McLaughlin, the executive director of Clean Ocean Access, says that if the nonprofit can succeed where shrink-wrap is concerned, then the marine industry program could become a building block for bigger programs that involve other items made from low-density polyethylene. “I think the best-case scenario is that we’ll have a prototype that demonstrates a circular economy for this kind of material,” McLaughlin says. “For that to go to scale for all of the material being used, we’re stitching different partners together.” Kraimer says that nationwide, maybe 10 percent of low-density polyethylene products are being collected for recycling and reuse. A lot of what does get collected becomes composite wood materials that can be used to build things such as park benches, home decks and playgrounds. The difference between the amount of material being recycled from a single plastic bag and a the shrink-wrap for a single boat is around 30 pounds, Kraimer says. And compared with collection sites at supermarkets for recycling plastic bags, there aren’t nearly as many recycling bins for shrink-wrap. Some states, including Rhode Island, have had collection programs for more than a decade, he says. But while the collected material might have ended up changed a few years ago, that was not always the case when China stopped accepting plastic waste. Prior to that, China had handled nearly half of the world’s recyclable waste. “The move was an effort to halt a deluge of contaminated materials overwhelming Chinese processing facilities and leaving the country with yet another environmental problem,” according to Yale School of the Environment. The change in China meant that even U.S. locations with good recycling programs needed a way to actually recycle or reuse the collected materials.

The difference between the amount of material recycled from a single plastic bag and the shrink-wrap for a boat is 30 pounds, but there aren’t many recycling bins for shrink-wrap. Adobe Stock

“What we’re doing is kind of closing the loop, making sure the material that’s being collected is actually being domestically recycled, and then we’re taking it a step further to see how we can turn that recycled material back into shrink-wrap,” McLaughlin says. “In today’s day and age, a lot of what recycling means is ‘I’m not throwing it out.’ We’re trying to change that paradigm to one of responsibility. If you’re paying for it and you think it’s being recycled, it should turn back into the material that it started as.” To help expand the program, Clean Ocean Access is asking boaters to let the organization know what happens to the shrink-wrap that comes off their boats this spring. Boaters can click on the “get involved” tab under “take action” on the group’s website. “We want to collect as much information as possible about how these things are happening. Or, if you find out you don’t know—if you’re just paying somebody to take it off your boat, and you have no idea where it goes—we want to know that too,” Kraimer says. “If enough boat owners demand recycling and enough marinas want it, then some waste hauler will want to offer that service, and we can infuse it into our project.” This article was originally published in the January 2021 issue.

Recycling program aims to keep plastic shrink wrap from boating industry out of landfill, ocean

TerraCycle Include USA Shrink Wrap Recycling Program

PROVIDENCE R.I. (WLNE) – As winter approaches, boat owners are once again pulling their boats out of the water until spring. Max Kraimer with Clean Ocean Access says, “In Rhode Island right now there’s about 40,000 boats registered.” Part of the winterization process includes wrapping boats with plastic shrink wrap, a lot of it. Kraimer says, “Those 40,000 boats are using close to around 600,000 pounds of material every year.” Dave McLaughlin with Clean Ocean Access says, “Certainly having a reusable material is the preferred choice. Having something that has convenience that you recycle, and you use it again for the same utility, is what we’re striving to do.” Recycling programs have been around for a while, but those programs were sending plastic overseas to be recycled. Back in 2017, that changed when China stopped accepting plastic for recycling. That’s where Clean Ocean Access comes in with their new recycling program. Kraimer says, “So now with our project, we’re looking to find new avenues to actually recycle it, in which we’re working with TerraCycle in New Jersey.” For now, the shrink wrap is being turned into other plastic products, like garbage bags. Clean Ocean Access would like to see it come full circle, finding a manufacturer who will make new shrink wrap from the recycled plastic. Kraimer says, “What we really want to dive into in this project is ask and answer the questions of why plastic wrap and plastic shrink wrap that is used is not being made out of post consumer recycled resin.” This year, they sent 40,000 pounds of plastic to be recycled. They’re hoping to scale up in the future so more boat owners and marinas can participate. (Edit for clarity: The 40,000 pounds of plastic in the last line of this article refers only to shrink wrap that originated from the Rhode Island marine industry. The project also helps to collect plastic shrink wrap for recycling from the Massachusetts marine industry and the Rhode Island agriculture industry. All combined, the program has collected, and sent for recycling, a total of more than 140,000 pounds of plastic shrink wrap.) © WLNE-TV / ABC6 2020

Building a More Sustainable Tomorrow, One Block at a Time

TerraCycle Include USA Shrink Wrap Recycling Program

Here are some ways to connect with young ones about building a greener future through reuse and recycling.

Buy Durable

Think about the toys you grew up with. What were they made of? Do you ever see them at yard and garage sales, or on shelves at thrift stores? The quality of MEGA™ brand toys by Mattel, for example, have not changed since its inception in the 1980s and are designed to be durable and built to last — passed down, even. Next time your child asks for a new toy, consider this: Is this toy likely to be quickly forgotten? After they’ve grown out of it, will another child be able to enjoy it? When you do buy, buy durable and buy timeless, and talk your child through why. Having a conversation outside a simple yes/no can help children understand the power of their decisions at the store. This influences their habits and results in good choices for years to come.

Got wrap?: Newport company wants to recycle your boat’s shrink-wrap cover

TerraCycle Include USA Shrink Wrap Recycling Program

NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) ─ Dave McLaughlin, the executive director of Clean Ocean Access, is hoping to change the course of recycling in the boating industry.

Shrink-wrap used to protect boats in the off-season is often thrown away, but he said there’s a better way to handle this issue. “Part of the program we are trying to do, is to pilot a small program to subsidize the cost of reusable boat covers,” McLaughlin said. The program is a partnership between Clean Ocean Access and recycling leader TerraCycle. Since February, 140,000 pounds of sailing and agricultural shrink wrap have already been collected. Under this arrangement, plastics are recycled in New Jersey instead of going overseas. Project coordinator Max Kraimer said keeping it domestic makes for much smoother sailing. “In 2017, China actually banned the importation of plastics, so projects like this to show that U.S. plastics can be recycled in the U.S. is really crucial in the next steps for the recycling industry,” Kraimer said. Kraimer said this is nothing new. Americans are already doing this when recycling plastic bags in those bins at the grocery store. “When you think about the same material, in a different shape and form, it’s the same material as a plastic bag, a bread bag, it’s all low material density Polyethylene,” he said. For boats, McLaughlin understands the convenience of one-time use shrink-wrap. But reusable wrap could pay off in the long run, like solar panels or other sustainable products. “Not everyone can relate to shrink-wrapping a boat, but people can relate to the fact that maybe 10 years ago they used a single-use water bottle and today they have a reusable bottle,” McLaughlin said.

Learn more about the Clean Ocean Access recycling program »

Clean Ocean Access and TerraCycle partner on boat shrink-wrap recycling initiative

TerraCycle Include USA Shrink Wrap Recycling Program

Clean Ocean Access (COA) has announced a new recycling initiative in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle. Since February 2020, the program has successfully collected over 140,000 pounds of sailing and agricultural shrink-wrap for recycling, according to Clean Ocean Access. Shrink-wrapping boats and greenhouses in preparation for winter is commonplace in the U.S., but recycling the shrink-wrap in the spring is now more challenging than ever. Historically, plastics of all kinds had been shipped overseas to be recycled, but today, the sailing and maritime community have begun to turn to Clean Ocean Access and TerraCycle’s Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project as a more local solution. This project aims to establish a U.S.-based recycling system, while also working with the marine industry to advance more circular solutions such as closed loop recycling for shrink-wrap (where the recycled film can become new shrink-wrap) or increasing the use of reusable covers where possible. Made possible through a grant from 11th Hour Racing, an organization that establishes strategic partnerships within the sailing and maritime communities to inspire solutions for the ocean, the Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project aims to prevent plastic film from entering landfills or incinerators by collecting the shrink-wrap from marinas, boatyards, vessel owners, and local agricultural operations, and transporting the material to TerraCycle in New Jersey. After initial implementation in Rhode Island by engaging the marine industry and boating public, the long-term goal of this project is to leverage an established network of plastic recyclers and manufacturers with the potential to collect a larger variety of shrink-wrap. “The Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project provides a time-sensitive opportunity to advance the existing efforts to collect plastic film, and bring awareness to the challenges and opportunities of creating a domestic circular economy, while having a laser focus on improving ocean health so future generations can enjoy ocean activities,” said Dave McLaughlin Co-Founder and Executive Director of Clean Ocean Access in a statement. The Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project is COA’s latest addition to an existing repertoire of ocean friendly initiatives including a beach cleanup volunteer program, environmental education events for children and a Marina Trash Skimmer project designed to leverage technology to remove debris found in marinas and harbors. “By recycling boat shrink-wrap with Clean Ocean Access, TerraCycle is doing exactly what it was founded to do,” said Dylan Layfield, TerraCycle Senior Manager, Material Solutions in a statement. “By picking-up where conventional recycling leaves off, we’re ensuring that our shared waterways can be enjoyed by our children and our children’s children.” TerraCycle specializes in collecting and repurposing hard-to-recycle waste through a variety of platforms, including large-scale recycling, which helps organizations like Clean Ocean Access recycle large volumes of waste. For more information about Clean Ocean Access and how you can take part in the Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project, visit www.cleanoceanaccess.org/programs/shrink-wrap-recycling/. More information about TerraCycle and their recycling programs can be found by visiting www.TerraCycle.com.

TerraCycle partners with Vail Resorts, PepsiCo, Ocean Spray and Clean Ocean Access

Include USA Ocean Spray Vail Resorts Shrink Wrap Recycling Program PepsiCo TerraCycle

TerraCycle, Trenton, New Jersey, will be working with Vail Resorts on reducing plastic use at their resorts, in partnership with PepsiCo. TerraCycle will also work with Ocean Spray to launch a national recycling program. Also, Clean Ocean Access and TerraCycle will work together to recycling hard-to-recycle plastic waste. Vail Resorts and PepsiCo Vail Resorts, Broomfield, Colorado, and PepsiCo, Purchase, New York, have announced the expansion of their partnership to 18 more resort locations around North America. In addition to renewing and expanding their product distribution partnership to 33 total resorts globally, PepsiCo committed to a significant investment annually in projects that support Commitment to Zero, Vail Resorts’ sustainability pledge to achieve a zero net operating footprint by 2030, including zero waste to landfill. Through a multiyear sustainability road map, the companies will focus on waste reduction, including reducing beverage and food packaging waste and replacing wax-lined paper cups with compostable or durable PepsiCo products. This season, Vail Resorts and PepsiCo will also partner with TerraCycle to create picnic tables and Adirondack chairs out of recycled snack and candy wrappers for guests to enjoy at Park City, Keystone, Beaver Creek, Vail and Breckenridge resorts. In synergy with Vail Resorts’ Commitment to Zero initiative, PepsiCo has its own target to make 100 percent of its product packaging recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable by 2025. “It is by working together, through robust partnerships with shared sustainability goals, that we’ll have the most impact on climate change,” says Kate Wilson, senior director of sustainability at Vail Resorts. In addition to waste diversion efforts, PepsiCo also will support Vail Resorts’ sustainability commitments through guest-facing education initiatives, joint marketing efforts and creative upcycling projects. Ocean Spray Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., Middleborough, Massachusetts, announced a partnership with TerraCycle to launch a free recycling program that enables consumers to recycle Ocean Spray flexible plastic Craisins dried cranberries and snack packaging for an alternative use. Through the partnership, Ocean Spray is advancing its sustainable packaging strategy by helping to divert waste from landfills and extending the life of materials to reduce the overall environmental footprint of a product. Now, customers can send their Ocean Spray Craisins dried cranberry products that are in flexible plastic packaging to TerraCycle, where the packaging is cleaned and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled products, such as park benches and picnic tables. As an added incentive, for each shipment of Ocean Spray Craisins dried cranberries packaging sent to TerraCycle through the Ocean Spray Recycling Program, participants earn points that can be donated to a nonprofit, school or charitable organization of their choice. In addition, Ocean Spray is working with TerraCycle’s new Loop platform to develop a program where together they will design and launch products in reusable packaging to create a truly circular economy. Consumers will be able to order Ocean Spray products from Loop’s e-commerce platform, and once done with the product, will be able to simply return the packaging to Loop to clean, sanitize and refill with the original products to reuse. “We are thrilled to partner with TerraCycle and their new Loop program to advance Ocean Spray’s commitment to sustainability so that we can leave the earth a better place for the farmers and families we serve,” Christina Ferzli, head of global corporate affairs at Ocean Spray, says. “We embrace TerraCycle’s innovative platform as a brand-new way to approach the process of recycling, especially as we honor Climate Week and consider the steps we are taking as an organization through all of our sustainability efforts to continue this work in a meaningful way.” "Since our founding, TerraCycle has made it our objective to 'Eliminate the Idea of Waste' by recycling the unrecyclable and diverting waste from landfills and local communities," Tom Szaky, TerraCycle CEO, says. “Through the Ocean Spray Recycling Program, we are joining forces with this iconic brand to offer a simple solution to packaging waste that helps preserve our environment for future generations.” Clean Ocean Access Clean Ocean Access (COA), Middletown, Rhode Island. a non-profit organization, has announced a new recycling initiative in partnership with TerraCycle. Since February 2020, the program has successfully collected more than 140,000 pounds of sailing and agricultural shrink-wrap for recycling. Shrink-wrapping boats and greenhouses in preparation for winter is common in the U.S., but recycling the shrink-wrap in the spring is now more challenging than ever. Now, the sailing and maritime community have begun to turn to Clean Ocean Access and TerraCycle’s Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project. This project aims to establish a U.S.-based recycling system, while also working with the marine industry to advance more circular solutions such as closed-loop recycling for shrink-wrap (where the recycled film can become new shrink-wrap) or increasing the use of reusable covers where possible. Made possible through a grant from 11th Hour Racing, the Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project aims to prevent plastic film from entering landfills or incinerators by collecting the shrink-wrap from marinas, boatyards, vessel owners, and local agricultural operations, and transporting the material to TerraCycle in New Jersey. After initial implementation in Rhode Island, the long-term goal of this project is to leverage an established network of plastic recyclers and manufacturers with the potential to collect a larger variety of shrink-wrap. “The Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project provides a time-sensitive opportunity to advance the existing efforts to collect plastic film, and bring awareness to the challenges and opportunities of creating a domestic circular economy, while having a laser focus on improving ocean health so future generations can enjoy ocean activities,” Dave McLaughlin, co-founder and executive director of Clean Ocean Access, says. “By recycling boat shrink-wrap with Clean Ocean Access, TerraCycle is doing exactly what it was founded to do,” Dylan Layfield, TerraCycle senior manager of material solutions, says. “By picking up where conventional recycling leaves off, we’re ensuring that our shared waterways can be enjoyed by our children and our children’s children.”

Rising Tide of Sustainability Introduces Boat Shrink-Wrap Recycling to Marine Industry

TerraCycle Include USA Shrink Wrap Recycling Program

Clean Ocean Access (COA), a New England-based non-profit organization with a vision of a healthy ocean that is free of marine debris with water that is safe for all ocean activities and a shoreline that is accessible to the public, has announced a new recycling initiative in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle. Since February 2020, the program has successfully collected over 140,000 pounds of sailing and agricultural shrink-wrap for recycling. Shrink-wrapping boats and greenhouses in preparation for winter is commonplace in the U.S., but recycling the shrink-wrap in the spring is now more challenging than ever. Historically, plastics of all kinds had been shipped overseas to be recycled, but today, the sailing and maritime community have begun to turn to Clean Ocean Access and TerraCycle’s Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project as a more local solution. This project aims to establish a U.S.-based recycling system, while also working with the marine industry to advance more circular solutions such as closed-loop recycling for shrink-wrap (where the recycled film can become new shrink-wrap) or increasing the use of reusable covers where possible. Made possible through a grant from 11th Hour Racing, an organization that establishes strategic partnerships within the sailing and maritime communities to inspire solutions for the ocean, the Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project aims to prevent plastic film from entering landfills or incinerators by collecting the shrink-wrap from marinas, boatyards, vessel owners, and local agricultural operations, and transporting the material to TerraCycle in New Jersey.

After initial implementation in Rhode Island by engaging the marine industry and boating public, the long-term goal of this project is to leverage an established network of plastic recyclers and manufacturers with the potential to collect a larger variety of shrink-wrap. “The Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project provides a time-sensitive opportunity to advance the existing efforts to collect plastic film, and bring awareness to the challenges and opportunities of creating a domestic circular economy, while having a laser focus on improving ocean health so future generations can enjoy ocean activities,” said Dave McLaughlin Co-Founder and Executive Director of Clean Ocean Access. The Shrink-Wrap Recycling Project is COA’s latest addition to an existing repertoire of ocean-friendly initiatives including a beach cleanup volunteer program, environmental education events for children and a Marina Trash Skimmer project designed to leverage technology to remove debris found in marinas and harbors. “By recycling boat shrink-wrap with Clean Ocean Access, TerraCycle is doing exactly what it was founded to do,” said Dylan Layfield, TerraCycle Senior Manager, Material Solutions. “By picking-up where conventional recycling leaves off, we’re ensuring that our shared waterways can be enjoyed by our children and our children’s children.”