October 24, 2024| Community, Environment
By: Holly Odgers
We are proud to announce that the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, in partnership with Roxbury Township Clean Communities & Recycling, the Morris County and Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authorities, and Ultra-Poly, has been honored with an Outstanding Achievement in Recycling award from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. This award recognizes the success of the Morris and Sussex Counties’ Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling Program held at Lake Hopatcong.
The award was presented at the Association of New Jersey Recyclers' (ANJR) annual symposium on October 23 in Neptune, NJ, where businesses, organizations, and individuals were celebrated for their contributions to recycling, waste reduction, and conservation efforts across the state.
For nearly a decade, Lake Hopatcong boat owners were able to recycle their boat shrink wrap—a non-biodegradable material that typically ends up in landfills—through a program managed by the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority. However, rising costs and challenges in the recycling market led to the program’s discontinuation in 2020.
Thanks to a partnership between the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, Roxbury Township Clean Communities & Recycling, and the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, the boat shrink wrap recycling program was relaunched in 2023 with Ultra-Poly as the new recycling partner. Mount Arlington Borough provided a drop-off location, and in its first year, the program collected and recycled 7 tons of shrink wrap. In 2024, the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority joined the effort, and additional drop-off locations were established in Jefferson Township and the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority facility in Lafayette, resulting in a collection of 19 tons—more than double the amount from the first year.
Ultra-Poly processes the collected shrink wrap into pellets, which are used to create products such as composite lumber, packaging materials, storage containers, and planters.
We are deeply grateful to the ANJR for recognizing our efforts, and we extend our sincere thanks to all of our partners, municipalities, marinas, and community members who made this program possible. Their support has been instrumental in its success.
Looking ahead to 2025, we are committed to further expanding this initiative and continuing our work to promote environmental stewardship at Lake Hopatcong and throughout New Jersey. Together, we are making a lasting impact on sustainability and preserving our lake for future generations.
To learn more about the recycling award winners, check out the NJDEP press release.
Photo: (left to right) Cheryl Birmingham, District Clean Communities Coordinator, MCMUA, Dawn Latincsics, Recycling Coordinator, SCMUA, Kyle Richter, Executive Director, Lake Hopatcong Foundation, Anthony Marrone, District Recycling Coordinator, MCMUA, Kellie Ann Keyes, Clean Communities Coordinator/Recycling Coordinator, Township of Roxbury
