Did you know that it takes hundreds of years for fishing line (often referred to as monofilament) to biodegrade? Because it is thin and often clear, birds and animals can’t see it. They become entangled in it or mistakenly ingest it – resulting in injury or death. That’s just one of the reasons why St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Department and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have teamed up to take part in the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP).
“Almost all of the bins were donated by FWC. Between myself and volunteers from the GTM Research Reserve, we will all work together to empty the bins to cut down on monofilament trash that ends up in the water,” explained Kelly Ussia, Park Naturalist for SJC Parks and Recreation. “Now it’s even easier to keep our waterways tangle-free.”
Monofilament recycling bins can be found at the following locations throughout St. Johns County:
- Boating Club Road Boat Ramp: 615 Boating Club Rd., St. Augustine
- Doug Crane Boat Ramp: 1039 Shore Dr., St. Augustine
- Exxon Beach Access: 2700 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach
- Moultrie Creek Boat Ramp: 4805 Shore Dr., St. Augustine
- Palmo Road Boat Ramp: 8600 Palmo Fish Camp Rd., St. Augustine
- Palm Valley Boat Ramp: 383 S. Roscoe Blvd., St. Augustine
- Porpoise Point Beach Access: Porpoise Point Dr., St. Augustine
- Riverdale Park Boat Ramp: 981 CR 13, Fruit Cove
- Shands Fishing Pier, 10000 Shands Pier Rd., St. Johns
- St. Johns County Ocean Pier: 350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine
- Trout Creek Park Boat Ramp: 6795 Collier Rd., Orangedale
- Usina Boat Ramp: 603 Euclid Ave., St. Augustine
- Vaill Point Park Fishing Pier: 630 Vaill Point Rd., St. Augustine
- Vilano Beach Fishing Pier, 260 Vilano Rd., St. Augustine
- Vilano Boat Ramp: 101 Vilano Causeway, St. Augustine
For more information on monofilament recycling, please visit mrrp.myfwc.com.