BELFORD, N.J., Aug. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The New Jersey Seafood Cooperative of Belford is the latest addition to the Fishing for Energy initiative, the program providing commercial fishermen a cost-free way to recycle old and unusable fishing gear. Gear, such as rope and fishing nets collected at the Co-op will be processed into clean, renewable energy at the Covanta Union Energy-from-Waste facility in Rahway, NJ.
Fishing for Energy is a partnership between the Morristown, NJ-based Covanta Energy (Covanta), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. It was established in 2008 to reduce the financial burden imposed on commercial fishermen when disposing of old, derelict (gear that is lost in the marine environment), or unusable fishing gear and thereby reduce the amount of gear that ends up in U.S. coastal waters. Metal items are recycled at Schnitzer Steel Industry facilities and the remaining material is converted into renewable energy at Covanta Energy-from-Waste facilities.
At a ceremony held this morning at the Belford Seafood Cooperative, the partnership installed a collection bin for old, abandoned or lost fishing gear from area commercial fishermen.
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