The City of Kawartha Lakes — home to many lakes and rivers, as well as the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario, Canada — will offer local boaters a chance to recycle boat shrink wrap at no charge through a pilot project that will run from April 28 to June 7, 2008.

“[I]t’s my opinion that this material has such a short in-use life that it should be considered a pristine recyclable resource,” says Andrew Boyd, manager of the city’s Solid Waste Division, which sponsors the project. “Our goal is diversion and if we can turn any product into a reusable resource, we are happy for the opportunity.”

Boaters may bring used, clean boat shrink wrap of any color to the city’s Lindsay/Ops site for recycling. If a large enough amount of material is collected, the city will deliver it to shrink-wrap manufacturers for recycling. Smaller quantities or those covered with dirt will be recycled into floor tiles, backyard composters and curbside trash cans.

“I’m certain that this will be a successful pilot and will lead to a more substantial project in the future,” Boyd says. “I believe that the marine industry as a whole is becoming much more environmentally aware and this is a program that they can take advantage of at no cost to them. And it is the right thing to do.”

For more information about the project, visit www.city.kawarthalakes.on.ca/CityHall/News/PressRelease/2008/2008-04-08_Boat_Shrink_Wrap_Pilot_Project.html.