This past summer, a team of six dedicated students from Professor Meg Brindle’s capstone course at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy collaborated with Plastic Free Queen Anne’s County in their mission to reduce the use of single-use plastics within Queen Anne’s County. Their focus encompassed the reduction of both carry-out plastic bags and the plastic utilized for winter boat shrink-wrapping at the county’s 23 marinas. Countywide, a reported 30 tons of plastic waste end up in landfills or the Chesapeake Bay annually, raising strong ecological concerns.
Single-use plastics, including disposable bags and packaging, have long been recognized as an environmental concern. While Maryland and many other states are working to reduce their use, Plastic Free QAC emphasized the need for increased focus on the plastic utilized for winter boat shrink-wrapping and its proper disposal. According to Plastic Free QAC, the surge in the use of shrink wrap for winterizing boats in marinas raised ecological concerns.
Recognizing the urgency of the environmental issue at hand, SPP students Hongmei Xu MPA ’23, Guanchong Xu MPP ’23, Qingxia “Cynthia” Guo MPP ’23 and Jiahao “Kyle” Liang MPP ’23 chose to focus their capstone project on evaluating the impact and effectiveness of a newly-introduced recycling program. They worked closely with Plastic Free Queen Anne’s County President and Co-Founder Sara Shelley. This initiative – a partnership between Plastic Free QAC and the Marine Trades Association of Maryland – specifically targeted marinas and their boat owners. Its goal was to distribute and recycle marine shrink-wrap plastic, which can be reused on boats during the winter months in Queen Anne’s County.
Brindle notes that the county is home to more than 5,000 boats, and with much of the plastic waste ending up in landfills or the Chesapeake Bay, “the projects can serve as a model in the area to what is possible by connecting people to information and action.” Brindle continues, “Many people WANT to do the right thing but don't know WHAT or HOW to do that. This model, being just across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in a serious boat and marina focal point, provides that example.”
Based upon interviews with marina managers, it was determined that five of the 23 marinas in the county had adopted the new recycling program, putting to use 225 of the 325 recyclable marine shrink wrap plastic and achieving a 70% usage rate. Crucial to the task was convincing marina managers that investing time, effort and resources into reducing environmental waste holds significant value. In their interviews, the students found that some marina managers thought it was too much trouble, while others thought it was important to do what is necessary to be certified as a “clean marina.” The interviews and research on these efforts were published in “A Cover Story of Queen Anne’s County.”
“Despite the challenges, I'm thrilled to see our cover story and corresponding manual published,” says Hongmei Xu. “From being a complete stranger to the program, I've stepped into the shoes of various individuals, including marinas, Plastic Free QAC staff and Maryland Department of Natural Resources representatives.”
SPP students Dengrui Guo MPP ’23 and Jingming Yi MPA ’23 focused their capstone project on legislative efforts to eliminate the use of carry-out single-use plastic bags in Queen Anne’s County. Working closely with Bente Cooney, founder of Plastic Free QAC, they gathered testimonies from Marylanders both in favor of and against the ban, submitting testimony on behalf of Plastic Free QAC during a Centreville Town Council public hearing in July. Ultimately, the legislation to ban these plastic bags was introduced and passed in Centreville, the governing town of Queen Anne’s County.
Cooney noted, “These arguments are useful not only in developing testimonies for Centreville hearings but also for the whole county when that becomes relevant.”
“In this project work, I found the most rewarding part to be the opportunity to draft testimony for Plastic Free QAC during the Centreville Town Council hearing,” shares Yi. “As a Chinese student, being able to participate in the legislative process in the United States and contribute to building a more environmentally friendly world was highly significant to me.”
In reference to the capstone project course, Brindle emphasizes that it is “a meaningful experience for our students as they self-select an area of study and engage with a specific client. It involves a focus that, in many cases, is the culmination of their SPP degree and oftentimes serves to refine or even define a career focus.” One of Brindle's former SPP graduate students, Alex Aiosa, who currently interns for Plastic Free QAC, mentored Brindle's students, creating a full-circle experience as he had previously collaborated with Plastic Free QAC during his capstone course.
Emphasizing the personal growth and opportunities fostered by the capstone program, Hongmei Xu reflects, “These collective efforts have culminated in our cover story, of which I'm incredibly proud. Through our work, we're advancing the boat shrink wrap program, offering valuable information to boat owners and anyone in need and contributing to environmental progress.” The SPP capstone project stood out as one of the most fulfilling parts of Xu’s summer, as she honed her research, interview and investigative skills while championing environmental stewardship.
The efforts of these students are making a significant impact in reducing single-use plastics and promoting environmental sustainability in Queen Anne’s County.
