Rhode Island's Rhode Island Marine Trade Association Foundation (RIMTA) successfully recycled 80 short tons (approximately 72.6 metric tonnes) of fibreglass from abandoned or derelict boats using a $105,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The pilot project involved shredding fibreglass hulls for use in cement production, aiming to develop a sustainable model for recycling end-of-life vessels. This initiative has attracted interest from multiple states including Maryland, Virginia, California, Washington, and Massachusetts, which are exploring or implementing similar vessel-recycling programs.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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A Rhode Island pilot is demonstrating how fibreglass boat recycling could provide an alternative to sending old and derelict vessels to landfill.
uncertain
recycling → demonstrate → landfill
The programme shredded fibreglass hulls and sent the material to a cement manufacturer for use in cement production.
asserted
programme → shred → production
According to a Rhode Island Marine Trade Association Foundation report, the pilot recycled 80 short tons of fibreglass from derelict and abandoned boats.
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pilot → accord → boats
NOAA later reported that RIMTA recycled nearly 20 metric tonnes of fibreglass in New England during the project period.
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RIMTA → report → period
Backed by a $105,000 NOAA grant, the initiative explored how the model could expand beyond Rhode Island as about 200,000 recreational boats reach the end of their usable life in the US each year.
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boats → back → US
How RIMTA tested a new way to reuse old boat hulls
The Rhode Island initiative, led by RIMTA executive director Brian Dursi as a “proof of concept” programme.
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RIMTA → test → programme
The programme recycled 80 short tons of fibreglass material from derelict or abandoned boats and incorporated it into cement.
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programme → recycle → cement
That is about 72.6 metric tonnes, although the original report gives the figure in short tons.
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report → give → tons
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the project was part of a broader effort to establish a sustainable model for end-of-life vessel recycling.
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project → accord → recycling
The programme helped expand interest in vessel recycling beyond Rhode Island, with states including Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, California, Washington, North Carolina, South Carolina, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine engaging in the process.
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states → help → process
RIMTA successfully recycled nearly 20 metric tons of fibreglass in New England during the project period.
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RIMTA → recycle → period
Shredded fibreglass was used in cement production
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fibreglass → shred → production
Instead, the shredded material was sent to a cement manufacturer, where it could be used during cement production.
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it → shred → production
When fibreglass from end-of-life boats is co-processed in a cement kiln, it can provide both thermal energy and a replacement for some raw materials used to make cement.
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it → co → cement
This approach gave the unwanted boat material a use while addressing a disposal problem that has few established alternatives.
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that → give → alternatives
The project also demonstrated how a network involving boat owners, marinas, dismantlers, transporters, shredders and cement producers could be assembled.
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network → demonstrate → owners
However, the process remained expensive, with costs associated with dismantling boats, shredding fibreglass, transporting the material and getting cement kilns to accept it.
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kilns → remain → it
Image AI generated
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AI → generate → ?
The $105,000 grant aimed to expand boat recycling
The programme received a $105,000 NOAA grant to explore whether Rhode Island’s approach could support a national vessel-recycling model.
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approach → aim → model
Several states, including Maryland, Virginia, California, Washington and Massachusetts, became involved in exploring or establishing vessel-recycling programmes.
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states → include → programmes
The scale of the problem is significant, with NOAA estimating that about 200,000 recreational boats reach the end of their usable life in the US each year.
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boats → estimate → US
However, Rhode Island’s programme was paused after its grant funding ran out, as RIMTA searched for new partnerships and funding to make fibreglass recycling more financially sustainable.
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recycling → pause → partnerships
The Aporia
