Recycle fishing line and save the environment at the same time!

The City of Boynton Beach is participating in a statewide Monofilament Recycling and Recovery Program (MRRP).  Recycling boxes have been installed at 6 area parks in Boynton Beach.  The monofilament is collected from recycling bins and cleaned of hooks, leaders, weights, and trash by Parks staff. It is then shipped to the Berkley Pure Fishing Company in Iowa. Berkley melts the line down into raw plastic pellets that can be made into other plastic products including tackle boxes, spools for line, fish habitats, and toys. It is not made into more monofilament line.

Most fishing line that you can buy today is made of monofilament – a single-strand, strong, flexible plastic that is clear or tinted.  Most monofilament is non-biodegradable; it lasts about 600 years.  Not all monofilament is recyclable, only fishing line that is a single filament, nylon product. Fishing line that is braided or contains wire cannot be recycled.  Also, line with a lot of growth on it or plant material mixed up with it may not be recyclable.

Discarded fishing line is a serious problem:

Because monofilament is thin and often clear, it is very difficult for birds and animals to see and they can easily brush up against it and become entangled in it. Once entangled, they may become injured, may drown, may become strangled, or may starve to death. Many animals also ingest fishing line. One recovered sea turtle was found to have consumed 560 feet of heavy-duty fishing line.  Fishing line discarded in our waterways also fouls boat propellers and is hazardous to swimmers.  This is a serious litter problem, especially around boat ramps, fishing areas, and swimming areas.  Even when the line is disposed in trash bins it still goes to the landfill, which creates additional hazards.

How do I recycle monofilament? 

Deposit it in the recycling bins located at City parks or your local tackle shop.  Recycling bins can be found at the following City parks:

    Boat Club Park

    Pioneer Canal Park

    Palmetto Greens Park

    Mangrove Park

    Intracoastal Park

    Jaycee Park

For more information visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Monofilament Recycling and Recover Program web-site at:  www.fishinglinerecycling.org