COHASSET — In early 2025, a state bill that would have established a recycling program for boat shrink wrap failed. Massachusetts uses nearly 2 million pounds of this product per year, so a teenage resident who worked on the bill took matters into his own hands by starting a pilot program to recycle boat wrap at no cost to residents.
Declan Bergen, a junior at Thayer Academy, launched Cohasset Recycles after interning for the State House, where he conducted research for H.889, An Act relative to boat wrap recycling, and testified on the bill to legislators. Though there is still no statewide program, Cohasset residents who use Bergen’s pilot program can have their boat wrap picked up from their homes or marinas and delivered to a recycling facility.
“People aren't aware of the negative effects that not properly disposing of this boat shrink wrap can have,” Bergen said. “The plastics that make up the boat shrink wrap are very durable, which is to protect the boat, but they also don't decompose.”
Boat shrink wrap is made of low-density polyethylene, which can be melted down to create new plastic products but cannot be handled by most recycling facilities. Bergen sends the wrap to a facility in Brockton that cuts it up and sells the smaller pieces of plastic to be reused.
When a resident signs up for the Cohasset Recycles program, they have to make sure the wrap is clean and dry. Bergen picks it up and handles the rest.
The program seeks to create a sustainable solution by removing potential barriers to recycling. “It's a lot easier for people to get on board with it if I'm the one going to their house and doing the work,” said Bergen.
All Cohasset residents are eligible for the program, and residents of neighboring towns can contact Cohasset Recycles regarding pickup availability. Bergen can collect wrap from individuals with boats stored at marinas, and boatyards can contact Cohasset Recycles to process a commercial quantity of plastic, though they may be subject to recycling fees.
The pilot is modeled after the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s Sea Grant program, which recycles boat wrap on Cape Cod. A survey by the WHOI shows that a minority of boat owners who store their boats at home and at marinas recycle their wrap. Nearly ten percent of respondents who store their boats at home try to recycle the wrap in home recycling bins, which may be delivered to facilities that cannot process it.
This is the first summer that Bergen has operated Cohasset Recycles, and with the help of friends and family, he estimates that he has recycled almost 1,000 pounds of wrap from about 30 boats.
“[Cohasset Recycles] makes sure that they don't get into our waterways or in areas that they can harm or even just make our communities look worse,” Bergen said. “[Residents] have the opportunity to make a positive impact. I'm trying to make that decision easier for them.”
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