Irish Boat Shop’s Traverse City location at 988 West Commerce Drive, will host a “Shrink Wrap Recycling Day” on Saturday, May 18 from 10 AM – 2 PM. The event gives area boaters the opportunity to sustainably dispose of the bundles of plastic shrink wrap that would otherwise go into dumpsters and landfills. Though shrink wrap is an important tool to protect boats during winter months, as boaters prepare to launch their boats for the season, it is the ideal time to collect the plastic material for recycling at Irish Boat Shop.
“We wanted to be part of the solution,” says Colin Texter, GM of Irish Boat Shop, Traverse City, “The entire boating community is invited and will see the value as we provide them with the recycling bags, assist them in properly preparing and bagging the shrink wrap, and coordinate with the Bay Area Recycling for Community for processing—it’s a win-win for everyone!”
As the grandson of Irish Boat Shop’s founder, Dave Irish, Texter is proud to carry on the third-generation tradition as a steward of the qualities and environment that make Northern Michigan a special place. He worked with the supplier, Dr. Shrink, Inc., Bay Area Recycling for Community and Michigan Recycling Coalition (MRC) to coordinate supplying the bags, bundling and pickup and shipping off for recycling. According to the MRC, film plastics are not biodegradable and contribute significant mass to Michigan landfills. For every bag recycled, 115 kWh of energy,13.5 gallons of oil and 16-20 cubic feet of landfill space are saved from each bag recycled.
Much of the material is used by Trex®, a company that offers eco-friendly composite decks from a blend of up to 95% recycled plastic film and reclaimed sawdust, in an earth-friendly manufacturing process. Trex offers consumers an environmentally responsible choice in decking by reclaiming factory waste and eliminating the use of harmful chemicals.
“We recycled over 87,000 pounds of plastic just last year with Dr. Shrink’s Recycling Run program and we are shooting for 100,000 pounds this year,” says Andrew Gale, founder of Bay Area Recycling for Community, “We are so pleased to work with Irish Boat Shop to expand participation in the Traverse City area this year—we are sure it will be even more successful and lead to more and larger events in the coming years.”
Dr. Shrink, Inc., a Northern Michigan headquartered company, is a primary international supplier for shrink wrap. President Mike Stenberg comments, “Irish Boat Shop is a very progressive organization and was one of our first customers in the Charlevoix area, back in 1987 when I began shrink wrapping in Northern Michigan. Now, I am excited to have them promoting our Recycling Run at their stores. It’s companies like Irish Boat Shop that will enlighten people on the easy steps to recycle their winter shrink wrap covers and keep this premium material out of landfills.”
The Shrink Wrap Recycling Day will offer FREE recycling bags, courtesy of Dr. Shrink and Irish Boat Shop, and will feature refreshments and assistance with properly preparing and bagging the shrink wrap. Mike Stenberg, Andy Gale and members of the Irish Boat Shop team will all participate and welcome area boaters to bring in their shrink wrap to 988 W Commerce Drive, Traverse City, MI 49685. For any questions, please call 231 242 1922 and for more general information visit www.irishboatshop.com
About Irish Boat Shop:
For over 60 years, Irish Boat Shop has provided comprehensive marina services, including repair, restoration, dockage, and storage with locations in Harbor Springs and Charlevoix, Michigan. Additionally, it maintains a dedicated sales, service, and storage facility in Traverse City, Michigan. An authorized dealer of premium boat brands like Boston Whaler, Nautique, Chaparral, Premium Pontoons, J Boats, RS Sailing, and Zodiac, the Boat Shop also brokers preowned boats. A certified “Clean Marina” and service center for Hinkley Yachts in the Great Lakes, Irish Boat Shop is committed to excellence and environmental stewardship in the marine industry.
