VIMS

Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Recycling and Waste Reduction category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th Annual Green Grants program.    

Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address environmental concerns in their community.  Grants must focus on one of the following priorities:   Litter Prevention, Recycling & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification. 

The Virginia Clean Marina Program is part of the Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.  They provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to the marine industry, citizens, and government in many areas, including sport fishing, marine education, seafood technology, marine business, and aquaculture. The Clean Marina Program strives to lessen the potential environmental impacts of marina operations through education, outreach, and prevention.

The focus of the Green Grant project for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is to recycle boating shrink wrap. When the boating season winds down, many owners choose to shrink-wrap their vessel to protect the paint, furniture, and trim from the elements during the winter.  The shrink wrap is removed at the beginning of the next boating season, and much of that plastic ends up in the landfill.

Funds provided by the grant will be used by VIMS to purchase metal recycling bins to keep at marinas to collect used boating shrink wrap at until it is ready for pickup by the Clean Marina Program staff, interns, and volunteers, who will dry it, and cut off any non-recyclables. The shrink wrap will then be transferred to Virginia Institute of Marine Science campus, where it will be baled and picked up by International Paper, a shrink wrap recycler based in Richmond. Non-recyclables will be reused in an art contest with Newport News Public Schools.  The Virginia Institute of Marine Science also plans to promote the use of reusable options for the used shrink wrap, such as tarps, in addition to recycling.