PHOTO COURTESY OF BOATUS
Recreational fiberglass boats are the lifeblood of many lake- or ocean-bound boating adventures, but when their life on the water is done, many are left abandoned or end up in a landfill. The Rhode Island Marine Trade Industry Association is trying to change that.
Last year, the association completed phase one of its lifecycle solutions plan for fiberglass boats: The Rhode Island Fiberglass Vessel Recycling Pilot Program. The innovative new program utilizes processed, recycled recreational boat material to serve as an energy source and a filler for concrete manufacturing companies.
“We get calls from boaters across the country wondering what they can do with their unwanted boats,” says BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water’s Director of Outreach Alanna Keating.
The new program is the first-in-the-nation boat recycling program of its kind, and if successful would dramatically reduce the amount of waste created by old recreational boats.
The association is currently moving into phase two of the program, which involves a detailed analysis of the pilot program to determine long-term feasibility and future possibilities.
The pilot program’s ongoing research and success have been made possible by support from 11th Hour Racing, the Association of Marina Industries, Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation and the BoatUS Foundation Grassroots Grant Program. For more information visit BoatUS.com.
