Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling Program Soars to 22 Tons in 2025

July 09, 2025| Community, Environment

By: Kyle Richter

We are thrilled to announce that the third year of the Lake Hopatcong Shrink Wrap Recycling Program—part of the broader Morris and Sussex County boat shrink wrap recycling effort—was our most successful yet, with an incredible 22.2 tons of boat shrink wrap collected and recycled. 

For many years, as boats came out of winter storage, piles of used shrink wrap often ended up in landfills. Morris County had previously offered a recycling program that ran for more than a decade but was discontinued in 2020 due to rising costs. In 2023, thanks to new partnerships among the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, Roxbury Township Clean Communities, the Morris County and Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authorities, Jefferson Township, and Ultra-Poly, we were able to bring this effort back, giving that plastic a second life.

The program provided recycling containers around Lake Hopatcong and hosted a community drop-off day to ensure boaters and businesses had convenient access to responsible disposal options. Shrink wrap recycling was also offered at the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority’s Solid Waste Facility in Lafayette. The collected shrink wrap was then transported to Ultra-Poly, a Pennsylvania-based recycling company, where it will be processed into plastic pellets. These pellets can be used to make composite lumber, packaging materials, flowerpots, totes, and more—keeping plastic out of our landfills and waterways.

Since the program began, it has removed a total of 50 tons (8+ tons in 2023, 19+ tons in 2024, and 22+ tons in 2025) from the waste stream. We are incredibly grateful to all of our project partners and community members who made this possible. Your participation not only helped prevent tens of thousands of pounds of plastic from entering landfills and waterways, but also supported a more sustainable future for our lake and environment.

We look forward to continuing this effort in 2026 and beyond. Until then, thank you, and happy boating!