THE FIBERGLASS
SOLUTION Have you ever wondered what will happen to your fiberglass boat at the end of its beautifully long life? Most boat owners never see the end of their boat’s life as boats have become so durable they end up having a multitude of owners.
22 | walstrom.com
By Madeline Walstrom
F
iberglass boats were introduced into the market around the 1940's and became widely available to the public around 1960’s. The boating industry boomed shortly after, making high end, durable boats available to a range of income levels. Adding versatility and low maintenance to the list of perks, fiberglass quickly took the industry, over wood crafts. In 2019 there were about 12 million registered boats in the U.S alone, the vast majority of which are fiberglass. With a life span of about 50 years it is no wonder we are just now asking ourselves what to do with fiberglass at the end of its life. Compounding the issue we have seen superstorms like Sandy destroy boats causing them to be left derelict for years after. Lack of regulation and funding leaves the environment and anyone enjoying the water to pay the price. More and more people are asking the question: What do we do with fiberglass when it is ready to be retired? The Answer? We don’t retire it; we recycle it! There are companies emerging that are taking initiatives on recycling fiberglass at the end of its life. Eco-wolf Inc., started by Wolfgang Unger in Edgewater, Florida, has solved this issue of recycling old
