Current Actions

Support Plastic Boat Wrap Recycling Program

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 05:00:00 GMT

With close to 900,000 registered watercraft, Minnesota has more boats per capita than any other state. In straight numbers we are second in the nation in boat ownership. As many as 300,000 of these boats are shrink wrapped every year. A 30 foot boat takes about 30 pounds of plastic to wrap. As a conservative estimate, if we assume 250,000 of these boats received 25 pounds of wrap each the waste would total 6.25 million pounds of plastic every year, with the vast majority of that ending up in the landfill.

What does this legislation do?

Creates a product stewardship program to responsibly recycle and reuse boat shrink-wrap.
Requires producers, through membership in a stewardship organization, to implement and finance a statewide product stewardship program to reduce the volume of boat wrap disposed of in landfills by promoting and providing for the collection and recycling of boat wrap.
Sets goals and a mechanism for tracking progress towards recycling the majority of boat shrink-wrap plastic used in Minnesota.
A mechanical technology exists that uses chemical free, toxic free methods to turn used boat plastic into resin. This resin is then turned back into boat plastic.

There is even a company in Minnesota that can do this today.

Clean ice means clean water - Support Keep It Clean Program/Grants Legislation

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 05:00:00 GMT

Minnesotans tell us they need infrastructure to handle the waste products of a growing ice camping and winter angling phenomenon. Although people and their pets can now camp and recreate for extended amounts of time on frozen waters, there is no clear direction for the use of the ice, and very few options for safe and legal
waste removal onshore.

We believe a Shelter and Ice Safety Program, like the existing DNR Boat and Water Safety Program, is the best way to teach the public the importance of caring for the environment and being safe during winter angling and recreation. We also recognize that small communities need incentives and opportunities to build, and upgrade
winterized human waste removal infrastructure, so visitors, by the tens of thousands, are not overwhelming local services.

Please recommend HF 3662/ SF 3957 for final approval and passage into law this session.

Support HF 3320 - Protect Our Waters from Plastic Pollution: Boat Shrink Wrapping

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 05:00:00 GMT

Plastic has found its way into almost every aspect of our lives, even our boats through winter. It's no secret that plastic creates serious negative impacts across its entire life cycle. It ends up in our lakes, rivers, and shorelines, and entangles loons and other precious wildlife. It gets degraded into microplastics, which contaminate our water sources, and even end up in the bodies of fish.

With roughly 14,500 boats per 100,000 people, Minnesota leads the nation in boats per capita. Out of 822,450 boat registrations, approximately 90% are large enough to be shrink wrapped, and out of these, its estimated about 180,000-300,000 boats are shrink-wrapped each year. For every foot of a boat, another square foot of shrink wrap is needed, so a 30 ft boat needs around 30 pounds of plastic wrap. With moderate estimates, this totals about 6.25 million pounds of plastic wrap each year, with most of that ending up in landfills. A very minimal amount is recycled.

HF 3320 creates a product stewardship program to responsibly recycle and reuse boat shrink-wrap. The bill will require companies producing boat wrap to implement and finance a statewide product stewardship program that promotes and provides for the collection and recycling of boat wrap.

The technology needed to recycle boat shrink-wrap exists and can be done by an existing MN company. Chemical free, toxic free methods can turn used boat plastic into resin, and this resin back into boat plastic.

Let your legislators know you support HF 3320.