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Ohio Sea Grant College Program
and Stone Laboratory

Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory

Shrink-Wrap Recycling Program

In the spring of 2006, the Ohio Clean Marinas Program in partnership with Mondo Polymer Technologies, Inc. of Reno, Ohio began a two-year pilot program, offering marina operators and boaters a welcomed cost effective alternative to recycle boat shrink-wrap.

Shrink-wrap is commonly used for protecting recreational boats stored outside during the winter season from snow, ice, water, and debris. The plastic encloses the boat by shrinking when heated, providing a protective covering strong enough to hold the weight of snow and ice. In the spring, used shrink-wrap is often discarded and ends up in landfills.

The Boat Shrink-Wrap Recycling Program provides a no-cost shrink-wrap collection service once every two weeks to marinas located along the Lake Erie coastline. Marinas are also able to schedule pick-ups by appointment. The recycling program diverts thousands of pounds of boat shrink-wrap from Ohio’s landfills and converts it into polymer highway guardrail blocks with the help of Mondo Polymer Technologies, Inc.

To schedule a shrink-wrap pick up

Contact Gary Comer, Jr., at 419.609.4120 or comer.29@osu.edu.

Impacts

  • Mondo Polymer Technologies, Inc. generated nearly 40,000 highway guardrail blocks from boat shrink-wrap in 2007.
  • The average saved by an Ohio marina from shrink-wrap recycling, as opposed to paying for landfill services, was $500.
  • The Boat Shrink-Wrap Recycling Program has saved more than 1071 cubic yards of space in Ohio’s landfills from being filled.
  • An estimated 800 Mondo blocks are used per mile of highway guardrail, the 2007 shrink- wrap collected from marinas alone totals 47 miles.
  • The total volume of collected shrink-wrap from 2006 and 2007 would cover Ohio’s 312-mile Lake Erie coast with an 8.6-feet wide strip of plastic.

Contact info

Mondo Polymer Technologies, Inc.
Ronald E. Wesel
Phone: 740.376.9396
Email: ron@mondopolymer.com

Ohio Clean Marinas Program
Gary Comer, Jr.
Phone: 419.609.4120
Email: comer.29@osu.edu

Ohio Clean Marinas Program
Dave Kelch
Phone: 440.326.5851
Email: kelch.3@osu.edu