RIMTA Received Grant For Boat Recycling Initiative

Rhode Island Marine Trades Association Foundation (RIMTA Foundation) received a $30,000 grant from BankNewport’s OceanPoint Marine Lending Division to help advance the Rhode Island Fiberglass Vessel Recycling Pilot Project.

The project addresses the significant environmental challenge posed by the continually expanding fleet of end-of-life fiberglass boats in the United States and its potential to inflict economic strain on manufacturers, dealers, marinas/boatyards, individual boat owners and state governments.

BankNewport’s grant provided the financial support needed for the RIMTA Foundation to pursue and secure federal funding with the support of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation, which has led to the expansion of the pilot program to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and the Pacific Northwest. The RIMTA Foundation is now positioned as a leading voice in the global discourse surrounding responsible lifecycle management for end-of-life fiberglass boats.

The RIMTA Foundation’s work led to the development of a method of utilizing fiberglass boat material for the production of cement, and over the past two years, the program has recycled more than sixty tons of fiberglass materials using the new process, diverting old boats from infinite burial in landfills or from being scuttled and polluting the oceans.

“We are continuing to answer critical questions surrounding the lifecycle of recreational boats and the sustainable reuse of fiberglass waste,” said Evan Ridley, Director of Environmental Programs, RI Marine Trades Association. Boats constructed with composite materials offer an incredible opportunity for our Ocean State to establish a new pathway for the collection and recycling of high-value scrap derived from thousands of other composite-based products currently being landfilled. These efforts stretch beyond the sustainability of recreational boating in Rhode Island and would not be possible without the guidance and support of our local partners like BankNewport.”