Last week, the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA) announced the launch of the Rhode Island Fiberglass Vessel Recycling Project to look into the dismantling and re-processing of glass fiber hulls into cement as an alternative to landfill. Back in May, RIMTA and Rhode Island Sea Grant received a grant from 11th Hour Racing for the project.
RIMTA says that between 2003 and 2012 it around two million recreational craft (an average of 210,000 per year) were retired in the US, according to surveys by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. While members of the European boating industry suggest that coastal nations in the EU retire between 6,000 and 9,000 recreational vessels annually. According to the association, some craft will be crushed and buried in landfills, while others may be abandoned by their owners on land or in coastal areas where they can potentially harm the natural ecosystem.
