Emmet County Public Works and Marinas Recycling the Winterizing Wrap
HARBOR SPRINGS -- As the weather warms up, people are starting to take their boats out of storage and hit the water. In many cases, boats have been covered in plastic shrink wrap all winter and now boaters have the option to keep that material out of landfills.
Emmet County Public Works is teaming up with local marinas to collect plastic wrap from boats and recycle it. The program is in its second year and is already underway. Besides being an environmentally friendly option, it's also a program that can save boaters money. Michael Esposito of Irish Boat Shop in Harbor Springs says his business has saved up to $4000 per year by recycling the plastic rather than having it taken to the landfill.
Marinas and individual boaters may bring their plastic wrap to the Emmet County Recycling facility in Harbor Springs. From there, the plastic is baled and stored. Once 40,000 pounds of material is collected, it will be sent to manufacturers around the midwest who can turn it into highway barriers and other products.
Plastic wrap will be collected, free of charge, until the end of June. So far, the program serves Emmet, Charlevoix, and Cheboygan counties, but boaters from outside the three-county area can also participate.
Participating locations:
Emmet County Drop-off Center 7363 Pleasantview Rd. in Harbor Springs
Irish Boat Shop, Harbor Springs
Walstrom Marine, Harbor Springs
Windjammer Marina, Oden
Maple Bay Marine, Brutus
Ryde Marine, Ponshewang
Walstrom Marine, Cheboygan
Burt Lake Marine, Indian River
Howe Marine, Indian River
Irish Boat Shop, Charlevoix
Eagle Marine Service, Boyne City
D&D Marine Service, Boyne City
For more information on the collection program and for the name of a marina near you accepting bundled shrink-wrap from the public contact Lindsey Walker at Emmet County Recycling at 231-348-0648.
