Fishing line recycling bins available at Tyler lakes and ponds

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Fishing line recycling bins are available at three Tyler recreation sites, giving anglers a place to dispose of tangled line that can trap turtles and birds.

East Texas Bass Association President Tyler Smith said anglers can bundle their fishing line tightly so more fits in the bin, then put it in the tube.

Smith, who has fished with the club across East Texas lakes, said he has not seen a bin like it.

How the effort started

Keep Tyler Beautiful coordinator Casey Turner said the idea came from the Tyler Audubon Society, the adopt-a-spot group at Bellwood Lake.

“They adopted the park about a year ago and after the very first cleanup they noticed that there was some fishing line,” Turner said.

Bins are located at Bellwood Lake and the Faulkner and Glass recreation ponds. The group partnered with the BoatUS Foundation.

The foundation says more than 100,000 animals die each year from swallowing or getting tangled in discarded fishing gear. It also says fishing line can stay in the water for more than 600 years.

“If we have a purposeful spot for it, we’re hoping that encourages people to put their line there and dispose of it properly,” Turner said.

Smith said anglers previously had to bag up old line and find a recycling spot.

“I think it’s great. You can just immediately dispose of and recycle your line right then when you get off the water,” Smith said.