Cape Cod Recycles More Than 22 Tons of Boat Shrink Wrap
Cape Cod boaters helped give thousands of pounds of plastic wrap a second life this year.
The Cape Cod boat shrink wrap recycling program gave thousands of pounds of plastic a second life this year. Collection sites in Bourne, Chatham, Eastham, Falmouth and Wellfleet collected 45,260 pounds, or 22.63 tons, of boat wrap in 2026. That is roughly 2.5 tons more than the five towns collected in 2025.
A Growing Cape Cod Recycling Program
Boat shrink wrap protects vessels from winter weather, but the large plastic sheets cannot go into household recycling bins. Without a separate collection program, much of the material may be thrown away.
The Cape Cod program gives residents and businesses another option. Clean and properly prepared boat wrap can be brought to participating collection sites during the spring and summer.
The program is coordinated by Cape Cod Cooperative Extension in partnership with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant and the participating towns.
This year, the five municipal collection sites collected:
- 45,260 pounds of boat shrink wrap
- 22.63 tons of material
- About 2.5 tons more than the same five towns collected in 2025
The program also received attention from the Cape Cod Times, NBC10 Boston, Waste Advantage Magazine and other news outlets, helping more people learn that boat shrink wrap can be recycled locally.
Where Does the Boat Wrap Go?
After collection, the boat wrap is transported to Republic Services Brockton Recycling.
At the materials recovery facility, the plastic is compressed into large bales. The bales are then sold to processors that turn the plastic into small pellets, sometimes called nurdles in the plastics industry.
Those pellets can be used to make new products, including:
- Garbage bags
- Coffee can lids
- Composite decking
- Outdoor furniture
- Flexible packaging
- Food containers
The recycling facility does not turn the wrap directly into these finished products. Its role is to sort and bale the material so it can move to the next step in the recycling process.
Clean Wrap Makes Recycling Possible
Boat wrap must be clean and free of other materials before it can be recycled.
Straps, vents, zippers and other non-plastic items can contaminate a load. Preparing the material correctly helps ensure that it can be accepted and processed.
Boat wrap should never be placed in a household recycling bin. It must be taken to a participating collection site or handled through another approved collection option.
Thank You to Cape Cod’s Boating Community
Collecting more than 22 tons took cooperation from boat owners, marinas, town staff and program partners across Cape Cod.
Every clean bundle delivered to a participating site helped keep usable plastic out of the waste stream and moving toward another purpose.
Information about future boat shrink wrap collections will be shared before the next boating season.
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