Shrink Wrap Recycling 2011
It’s soon going to be that time again to uncover the boats and head into a new season.
Hopefully the summer weather repeats 2010.
Boating Ontario/OMOA has investigated sources of shrink-wrap recycling as opposed to
disposal that ends up in landfill. There will be disposal costs, whether you decide to
landfill or recycle, but in some locations recyclers will pick it up for little cost as long as
the travel distance is not too great. Some landfills will no longer accept large quantities.
Your first check might be with your own municipality to inquire about local possibilities.
Once in a while we get a surprise from our own municipality. The City of Kawartha
Lakes accepts clean shrinkwrap at all their landfill sites at no charge. If it is
contaminated a fee of $90 per ton is assessed.
Recycling is the proper method of disposal and it should not be a cost that eats into your
bottom line. If you charge each boater a flat recycling fee, based on your costs, that fee
could be as little as $3 or as much as $20, neither one unreasonable for a boater. You
might share trucking costs with one or more neighboring facilities. Many marinas could
charge as little as $10 and finish with a small profit for their recycling endeavor. In 2011
the recycling value of the product is improving slightly and we’re still able to get these
following businesses to take it.
While recyclers vary, and to ensure there will always be willing hosts for the stuff, you
should cut the cord or strapping out, as you are removing it from the boat. This way the
product is not contaminated with foreign material. It also needs to be kept as clean as
possible. If willing recyclers receive contaminated, dirty material, they will stop taking it
altogether and everyone will suffer the consequences. We lost one recycler in 2007 and
another in 2009 for that very reason.
Here are some choices available at the time of this note and check with the contact people
for their latest costs and other details:
Central and Northern Ontario and call re Eastern regions.
C Jane Waters – Call for pick-up charges and they will depend on distance traveled. Can
arrange disposal of old engines and some other scrap metals and wiring harnesses.
Please call for more information. Jane is the only shrinkwrap recycler who is a Boating
Ontario member.
Toronto and GTA
Turtle Island – Toronto - Will take it directly from anyone, or will pick up in the Toronto
area for a nominal trucking fee. Our longest serving recycler.
GTA and South-central Ontario
David Nadas – will pick up for nominal charge, depending on distance traveled.
South Western Ontario
Turtle Island – Leamington – Will bail it on-site for marinas in Windsor/Essex and
Chattam/Kent or will pick up for nominal charge. Will also accept loads from you
directly or from other carriers at no charge as long as it is clean and not contaminated.
Ottawa Valley / Region 2
Belleville
Laurie Brown – HGC Management – Contact Laurie with quantity involved and expected
timing and she will quote on pick-up. She can coordinate loads from you and others
close-by to improve efficiencies.
For alternative if this doesn’t work for you, contact Jane Waters, below.
Thousand Islands Area
Meg Mallory, Williams Marine Inc – Call Meg for information and scheduling. Pick-ups
will probably be 6 Mondays in spring, depending on loads.
Toronto and 200 mile radius:
Shane McKenna of Optima Colour has revived the Dr Shrink Rebag program that
disappeared a couple of years ago. You buy the bags from him at $2.50 each, pack them
with wrap and they will send a truck within 200 miles of Toronto to pick up load.
Contact information for above:
- C Jane Waters * Boating Ontario member: (289) 338-6042
- David Nadas: (416) 315-5023
- Turtle Island Recycling - GTA: (800) 224-5325 - Vince Semia
- Turtle Island - Windsor area: (519) 326-5908
- Meg Mallory – Williams Marine: (613) 659-3163
- Laurie Brown – HGC Management: (613) 968-3848 hgcbelleville@bellnet.ca
- Shane McKenna – Optima Colour: (519) 622-5700
shane.mckenna@optimacolour.com