Bags for Benches

North Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club (MD19-E8 Ione WA)

North Pend Oreille Valley (NPOV) Lions Club has embarked on a new environmental service project in partnership with Trex. The Trex Company manufactures wood-alternative decking, railings and other outdoor items from recycled materials. Participants in the Trex Recycling Challenge collect plastic film with the goal of recycling a minimum of 500 pounds of plastic in a 6-month period. If the goal is met the group is awarded a Trex bench.

NPOV Lions are providing a way for people in the community to dispose of the plethora of plastic grocery bags and other plastic packaging while earning a new bench to place where everyone can enjoy it.

The plastic film that qualifies for this program includes: grocery bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, plastic shipping envelopes, cereal bags, case overwrap, salt bags, stretch film, wood pellet bags and produce bags. All bags must be clean, dry and free from food residue.

Collection bins in the community are located inside the local grocery stores as well as on school campuses. The collected bags are picked up by a Lion and taken to the Safeway store in Colville for recycling. This project has been handled by a single Lion, with coverage from others during vacations.

For information about the Trex Recycling Challenge, visit their website at: https://www.trex.com/recycling/recycling-programs/. For updates on the club’s Bags for Benches project, visit their Facebook page at: NPOV Lions Bags for Benches.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY:
EASY.

CHALLENGES:
Location of a participating recycling partner. Specific stores are listed at https://www.trex.com/recycling/recycling-programs/

SINGLE or CONTINUOUS: 
Continuous

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Kim Di Rienz at North Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club 19E8