Marine Film

In the winter, recreational watercraft are pulled from Michigan's countless inland and Great Lakes to be stored until the spring. Many boaters use a shrink wrap made of #4 Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) to cover and insulate their watercraft and protect them from weathering. These covers can be clear, white, black, and blue and often contain additives for UV protection for boats stored outside. Michigan is uniquely situated for the production of these plastic films, with one of the most prosperous boating industries in the country, long and harsh winters, and hundreds of marinas along our coasts.

Where to Recycle: Recycle Run Pick Up and Drop Off Program

Through Michigan-specific partnerships and EGLE grant funding, the Michigan Recycling Coalition manages Recycle Run, a program that allows Marinas, individual boaters, dealerships, and more to participate in boat cover recycling.

Since its inception, the program has grown significantly to accumulate more and more plastic. In 2022, around 90,000 pounds of plastic were diverted from landfills and recycled! Other U.S. states have begun to use this program as a model, and new recycling manufacturers are investing in the Michigan Recycling economy, making it easier to get involved every year. Learn more here. 

Why can’t this item go in my curbside bin?  

Unfortunately, curbside recycling of boat covers is not available in the United States. This type of plastic is bulky and can tangle in the typical machinery utilized at recycling centers, making it a challenge.

Why is it important to recycle this item?

The disposal of this much plastic poses a significant risk to the health of our lakes and environment. Improper disposal and rapid proliferation have caused these plastics to shred into tiny microscopic pieces. There are 112,000 or more particles of microplastics per square mile of Great Lakes water, and you cannot catch and eat a fish from the Great Lakes without ingesting plastic. Boat covers take 500-1000 years to break down naturally; as we continue to use and throw out these plastics, our landfills will only expand.

What is it recycled into?

The marine film recycled in Michigan's Recycle Run program is used in composite decking.

Plastic bags stacked on top of each other containing condensed blue and white shrink wrap boat covers.
Flow graph displaying shrink wrap recycling process from "Purchase Your Recycling Bags at Dr. Shrink's Website" to " The plastic will be turned into alternate products, saving resources."
A row of five metal pontoon boats covered with air tightened blue boat shrink wrap. "Shrink-wrap" is spray painted in white on the first boat in the row.