(Erie News NOW) The Regional Science Consortium (RSC), in partnership with the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, has launched a new Clean Marinas initiative, starting with a Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling Program.

This marks the first phase of the Lake Friendly – Clean Marinas initiative, aimed at improving stewardship of Erie County’s natural resources and reducing plastic pollution in Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie.

Boat shrink wrap, widely used by local boaters to protect vessels during winter, is a major source of single-use plastic—each wrap is equivalent to about 2,062 plastic bags.

Without recycling, this material breaks down into microplastics that threaten water quality and wildlife in the region’s waterways.

Pennsylvania is the only Great Lakes state without a formal Clean Marinas Program, making this initiative a significant step for Erie and the state.

The RSC and its partners have distributed 18 shrink wrap recycling containers at key boating locations, including the Port Authority’s Boatyards by Liberty Park, Perry’s Landing Marina, and Presque Isle State Park Marina.

Since April, the project has already diverted over 2,500 pounds of shrink wrap from landfills.

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