Used Fishing Line is harmful to wildlife and boat motors,
but it can be Recycled
What You Can Do...
Sponsor a recycling bin.
Volunteers check the bins on a regular basis to make sure theat the line is free of other debris. When the bin is full, they send the monofilament to Pure Fishing, the parent company of Berkley, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, which is currently the only place that recycles used fishing line. The used monofilament is chopped up, melted down and the plastic is then used to manufacture new plastic fishing-related products like tackle boxes, spools for lines, and artificial fish habitats. It is not made into more monofilament line.
Report tangled animals.
Birds and animals cannot see discarded fishing line, so it is easy for them to become tangled in it. Once tangled, they may starve, drown or lose a limb.
If you see an animal tangled in fishing line, go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife web site to locate a wildlife rehabilitator in your county http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/rehab/list/.
Recover your line.
Whenever possible retrieve and properly dispose of any monofilament fishing line that you encounter. Take the time to remove any monofilament if it becomes tangled.
Volunteer.
Participate in local beach and river cleanup events. Volunteer for agencies that are actively sponsoring cleanups. Volunteer to sponsor an outdoor monofilament recycling bin and empty it on a monthly basis.
Be Line Conscious.
Consider the age of your line and its strength and store loose pieces of fishing line. Even the tag ends cut from leaders should be stored for proper disposal. Cut an ‘X’ into the lid of a film or tennis ball canister to make it easy to poke the pieces of line through and store this in a secure location. Make it a rule never to throw any kind of plastic into nature, especially not monofilament line. When you throw away fishing line, cut it into pieces less than 12 inches.
Recycle.
Recycle monofilament fishing line at your local tackle shop or in an outdoor PVC recycling bin posted at boat ramps and piers. If your tackle shop does not have a recycling bin encourage them to contact the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program, (979) 245-4100 or email John O’Connell to learn where they can get their free postage paid indoor collection bin.
Did you know...?
Monofilament fishing line is non-biodegradable and lasts about 600 years in the aquatic environment.
Even fishing line that is thrown in the garbage can end up in the environment by blowing out of the garbage can or landfill, or by being taken out by birds or animals, so please dispose of your fishing line responsibly.
Information
For information about the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP), visit
http://mrrp.tamu.edu
or contact:
John P. O’Connell
or
Texas Sea Grant College Program
(979) 845-3854
Brochure developed by Texas Sea Grant College Program. Publication of this document supported in part by Institutional Grant No. NFFK0000-6-00543 to Texas A&M University from the National Sea Grant Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
TAMU-SG-07-501
June 2008 • 10M
