Recycle Your Line for Erwine!
DOW and Akron elementary school Team Up to Reduce Waste
AKRON, OH- Each year, close to one million anglers fish in Ohio’s waters. From Lake Erie to the Ohio River, there is a wide variety of options available, but one common thread links them all. From trolling to casting, drifting to jigging, and all points in between, anglers across Ohio use some sort of fishing line. But where does all the line end up once anglers are done with it? After fishing season has wrapped up for the year, most anglers discard their line in the trash. Some, however, choose to discard it where they fish. In either case, the line can cause environmental hazard. “Discarded fishing line at some of our access areas creates a real problem for wildlife and our users,” says Matt Wolfe, Fisheries Biologist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “Line can become entangled easily around wildlife, but discarded line can also create a problem for boat motors and other equipment,” Wolfe added. Fishing line, whether disposed of properly or not, will not break down naturally and can create problems for many years to come.
So what are anglers to do with their old line? Thanks to an ambitious project by a local school, anglers have an outlet to recycle their line responsibly. A 5th grade class at ErwineIntermediateSchool, which is part of Coventry Township Schools, has started a fishing line recycling program. “The students began this project to fulfill the requirements of their Disney Planet Challenge,” says Mike Staiger, teacher, who oversees this class project. “These projects teach kids about science and conservation while empowering them to make a positive impact on their communities, so hopefully the kids will realize what impacts this program may have around Northeast Ohio,” added Staiger.
The following businesses have agreed to host line recycling stations for this project:
GanderMountain, 4938 Portage Street NW, North Canton (330) 498-0995
Wal-Mart (Arlington Road), 2887 South Arlington Road, Akron (330) 645-9556
Long LakeBait and Tackle, 855 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron (330) 245-6114
PortageLakes Bait and Tackle, 354 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron (330) 644-0316
ErwineIntermediateSchool, 1135 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron (330) 644-2281
Division of Wildlife District 3 Office, 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron (330) 644-2293
Please call ahead to confirm regular business hours.
After the project is completed in the spring, the collected line will be sent to Berkley Conservation Institute (part of Berkley fishing) for recycling. The project aims to recycle one mile worth of fishing line, but hopefully with the help of the anglers of Northeast Ohio, the students will be able to meet and exceed this goal!
The students at Erwine and the Division of Wildlife thank anglers in advance for their contributions.