Queen Anne’s County Takes Action to Reduce Plastic Waste in Marine Industry
As the weather warms up in Queen Anne’s County, the annual practice of winterizing boats with single-use shrinkwrap contributes to a significant amount of plastic waste ending up in landfills. With approximately 5,000 recreational boats in the county, and an estimated half using single-use shrinkwrap, this results in 30 tons of waste each year.
In response to this environmental concern, Queen Anne’s County Government has joined forces with Plastic Free QAC and the Marine Trades Association of Maryland (MTAM) to tackle the issue and minimize the ecological impact of single-use shrinkwrap.
Last year, the initiative began by targeting local marinas and businesses, successfully recycling over 1.62 tons of plastic and diverting it from landfills. This year, the focus shifts to residents, urging them to actively participate in reducing plastic waste.
The MTAM recycle bags, sponsored by the County Commissioners, are now available at West Marine in Chester, and Rommel’s Ace Hardware in Stevensville, Refill Goodness in Stevensville, and Town Hall in Centreville for individual boat owners.
County Commissioner, Phil Dumenil said, our county, blessed with natural beauty, is also entrusted with the responsibility of stewardship. By sponsoring the MTAM recycle bags, we want to empower our residents to take an active role in safeguarding our waterways and minimizing the footprint of recreational boating. Together, we can make a lasting impact on our environment and set a precedent for communities across Maryland.
The only shrinkwrap accepted for recycling must be cleaned of any zippers, windows, or ties and packaged in the provided MTAM recycle bags. Residents can drop off their cleaned shrinkwrap at no cost.
A dedicated dumpster for MTAM bagged shrinkwrap is available at the Grasonville Transfer Station, located at 401 Gravel Run Road. The MTAM dumpster will be accessible until late May, providing a convenient and eco-friendly disposal option for boat owners.
For more information, including locations to pick up the MTAM Recycle bags, where to bring them once they are ready to be recycled and the organizations involved, visit https://lnk.bio/RecycleBoatShrinkwrap