Boat wrap stewardship program

In early 2024, Minnesota became the first U.S. state to establish a product stewardship program for boat wrap, which is plastic used to protect a boat against moisture and damage from other elements during storage. The law (Minn. Stat. § 115A.1416) requires boat wrap producers to:

form or designate a stewardship organization
become members of that stewardship organization
operate under an approved stewardship plan to sell boat wrap or offer it for sale in or into Minnesota

The boat wrap product stewardship program must provide free collection, transportation, reuse, recycling, and disposal of boat wrap.

Stewardship organization

Commercial and Industrial Flexible Film Recycling Organization (CIFFRO) has been identified by member producers as the stewardship organization for this program. All producers offering a boat wrap for sale in or into Minnesota must become a member of CIFFRO prior to Sept. 1, 2025.

To become a member with CIFFRO, contact MNBoatWrapEPR@poly-america.com

After September 1, 2025, no one may use, sell, or offer boat wrap for sale in or into Minnesota unless the producer participates in the approved stewardship plan through the stewardship organization. The MPCA is responsible for maintaining a list of producers and brands that are identified as compliant within the stewardship plan on this page. Retailers are responsible for reviewing this list before purchasing, selling, or distributing boat wrap.

List of members of CIFFRO as of March 3, 2025:

Poly-America, Brand: Husky Marine
Dr. Shrink, Brand: Dr. Shrink

List of non-members of CIFFRO as of Sept.1, 2025:

This list will be posted after the compliance date of September 1.

Program oversight and participants

Producers	become a member of a single stewardship organization and operate under an approved plan pay producer membership fees
Retailers	review the posted list of producers to confirm compliance before purchasing boat wrap may elect to participate as a designated boat wrap collection point
Stewardship organization	coordinates and implements the program on behalf of producers develops stewardship plans and annual reports collects producer fees and pays annual administrative fee to the MPCA provides educational materials to boat wrap purchasers, including information on the available options for collection, transportation, reuse, and recycling
MPCA	oversees stewardship program establishes annual performance goals in consultation with the stewardship organization that must be incorporated into the stewardship plan and met by program reviews and approves stewardship plans and annual reporting that tracks program progress and outcomes maintains a list of all compliant producers and brands participating in an approved plan ensures program compliance and enforcement

Definitions

"Boat wrap" means plastic that is used, intended for use, designed, or marketed for the purposes of wrapping a boat to protect it against moisture and damage from other potentially harmful elements during storage.

"Stewardship organization" means an organization designated by one or more producers to act on their behalf as an agent to design, submit, and implement a product stewardship plan under this law.

"Producer" means, with respect to boat wrap that is sold, offered for sale, imported, or distributed in the state by any means, a person who:

manufactured the boat wrap under a brand that the person owns or controls
owns or controls or is licensed to use a brand for boat wrap
imported or imports the boat wrap into the United States
distributed or distributes boat wrap in or into the state

"Retailer" means a person that sells or offers boat wrap for sale in or into this state by any means.

Stewardship plan

After producers designate a single stewardship organization, the stewardship organization must submit a stewardship plan to the MPCA by March 1, 2025. The stewardship plan must be developed in consultation with stakeholders, including boat owners, owners of marinas and boat storage establishments, contractors, collectors, recyclers, Tribes, and local units of government. The stewardship plan is updated and submitted every five years and must include at a minimum:

contact information for the individual and the entity submitting the plan, a list of all producers participating in the product stewardship program, and the brands of boat wrap included in the product stewardship program
certification that the product stewardship program will accept all discarded boat wrap regardless of who produced it
a description of the methods that will be used to collect boat wrap in all areas of the state without any fee, charge, surcharge, or other cost to members of the public, businesses other than a producer, entities managing boat wrap, the state, or a political subdivision
an explanation of how the collection system will be convenient and adequate to serve the needs of boat owners, marinas, and boat storage establishments in both urban and rural areas on an ongoing basis
a discussion of how existing marinas, boat storage establishments, and sites designated as recycling centers will be considered when selecting collection sites
a description of how the performance of the collection and recycling program will be measured, monitored, and maintained
the names and locations of collectors, transporters, reuse facilities, and recyclers that will manage discarded boat wrap
a description of how discarded boat wrap will be safely and securely transported, tracked, and handled from collection through final recycling and disposal of residuals
a description of the methods that will be used to separate and manage nonrecyclable materials attached to boat wrap and to recycle discarded boat wrap
a description of the promotion and outreach activities that will be undertaken to encourage participation in the boat wrap collection and recycling programs and how their effectiveness will be evaluated
the annual performance goals established by the MPCA per the law
evidence of adequate insurance and financial assurance that may be required for collection, transport, reuse, recycling, and disposal operations
a discussion of the status of end markets for collected boat wrap and what, if any, additional end markets are needed to improve the functioning of the program

Plan updates

March 3, 2025 CIFFRO submitted a stewardship plan to the MPCA

Draft Minnesota Boat Wrap Stewardship Plan (pdf)

April 1, 2025 – May 15, 2025 45-day Public Comment Period

July 1, 2025 MPCA responded to CIFFRO rejecting the plan detailing revisions required

18611: GovDelivery - Boat wrap MNPCA_579

Stay connected

Key dates in Minnesota Statute

Dates	Task(s)
March 1, 2025	The stewardship organization submits stewardship plan to the MPCA for review and approval or rejection.
June 1, 2025 (and annually thereafter)	The MPCA identifies agency costs to administer and enforce the program.
July 1, 2025 (and annually thereafter)	The stewardship organization pays the required administrative fee.
July 1, 2025 (and annually thereafter)	MPCA completes plan review and notifies the stewardship organization of plan approval or rejection. A revised plan is not subject to public comment.
Sept. 1, 2025	No person may use boat wrap, sell boat wrap, or offer boat wrap for sale in or into Minnesota unless the producer participates in an approved stewardship plan through a stewardship organization.
March 1, 2026 (and annually thereafter)	The stewardship organization must submit an annual report to the MPCA. The annual report will include boat wrap sales and boat wrap recovery data.
2026-2027	Following the reporting of sales and recovery data, the MPCA will establish performance goals for the program in consultation with the stewardship organization. If performance goals are not subsequently met, the stewardship organization must discuss why the goals were not met and propose collection program modifications (stewardship plan amendments) to ensure that future performance goals will be met.
June 1, 2030	No less than 50% of the total weight of boat wrap sold in Minnesota must be collected and recycled.
June 1, 2035	No less than 80% of the total weight of boat wrap sold in Minnesota must be collected and recycled.

Additional resources

Boat wrap product stewardship program (w-ps1-06)
Recorded informational session (62 min.) Oct. 21, 2024 webinar