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.

By Madeline Walstrom

Fiberglass 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

fiberglass by turning it into new material. The team takes scrap fiberglass and puts it into a grinder. They designed the grinder to withstand the abrasive nature of the material while maintaining the integrity of the glass or natural fibers. This allows the fibers to be transformed back into new products. The recycled fibers go through the eco-dispensing macerator which combines the recycled fiber with resin spray in calculated measurements. This allows the fibers to be transformed into new products. The end product is sold as a material called Seacast, which can be used just like fiberglass for transom repair or an abundance of other uses. The owner of Invision Boatworks out of Saginaw, Michigan has been using Seacast for over 10 years and says he is never going back to regular fiberglass for transom repair after seeing such high customer and employee satisfaction. Other companies involved in fiberglass recycling include American Fiber Green Products, Global Fiberglass Solutions Inc. and RITMA out of Rhode Island.

In Michigan we see the need for recycling boats because of the growing number of abandoned fiberglass boats in boatyards and marinas. These boats degrade property values and are a hazard to the environment. The Emmet County Recycling Center and Transfer Station is known statewide for their ingenuity and forward thinking. The Director of Public Works in Emmet County Andrea Tolzdorf says, “Recycling is all about connecting people who have the product to people that need it. With boating being such a big industry in Michigan we could see these connections start to be made with recycling fiberglass when the technology is available.” The future of fiberglass is changing in the best way possible. With products like the Eco-Wolf grinder becoming more accessible and its recycled material more available on the market, it is exciting to think of what possibilities lie ahead to improve recycling fiberglass on the Great Lakes and around the world. For more information on this topic head to www.unitedbywater.org or contact Madeline Walstrom at 231-838-7736.