Sixteen State College Area Elementary Schools are currently competing in an eight week Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge which has so far recycled over 150,000 plastic bags collected from the schools-- over 2,000 pounds of plastic bags and film.  And there is no sign of slowing down. 

All sixteen participating schools will be rewarded with a Trex recycled plastic lumber park bench made from 10,000 recycled plastic bags as well as a Trex plastic lumber bird house.

The top two schools will receive enough Trex recycled plastic lumber to make a raised garden bed, $50 in “seed” money and compost to help their garden grow.

Both Weis Markets and the Trex Company donated all of the benches. Lowe’s Home Improvement is kicking in the lumber and the Boy Scouts will build the raised garden bed.

“You can’t just toss bags into a curbside recycling bin,” said Mimi Cooper of the Centre Region Council of Governments. “It’s really a matter of training us all to take plastic bags and plastic wraps back when we shop at the store. Most retail stores have bins designated for recycling bags. We just need to remember to do it, and there‘s no better way to learn than through our children.”

The plastic bags collected by the schools will be sent to the Trex Company and recycled into plastic lumber. 

The winning school will be announced at a Press Conference on April 21, at 10:30 a.m. at the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority.

Participating schools include: CLC Charter School, Corl Street Elementary, Easterly Parkway Elementary, Ferguson Township Elementary, The State College Friends School, Goddard School, Gray’s Woods Elementary, Houserville Elementary, Lemont Elementary, Mt. Nittany Elementary, Nittany Christian School, Nittany Valley Charter School, Our Lady of Victory Catholic School, Park Forest Elementary, Radio Park Elementary, and Young Scholars Charter School

For more information, call the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority at 814-238-7005, or Amy Schirf by sending email to: aschirf@centrecountyrecycles.org.  

3/31/2014