In recognition of Earth Day, GIANT Food Stores’ Bags To Benches Program donated 25 benches made from recycled plastic bags and $2,500 to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to assist with local beautification efforts.

As part of the Great American Cleanup of PA now underway, the 25 benches will be placed in parks and pocket parks, community gardens and former vacant lots as part of a larger community improvement strategy by local organizations across Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland.

“GIANT is committed to being a responsible retailer and doing what we can to reduce waste and be a better neighbor to Mother Earth 365 days a year,” said Tom Lenkevich, GIANT president. “We encourage customers to recycle their plastic grocery bags and think of other ways they can go green not only on Earth Day, but every day.”

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful empowers Pennsylvanians to make their communities clean and beautiful. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers annually participate in our programs, such as the Great American Cleanup of PA working, to improve their communities. KPB is grateful to partner with the GIANT and Martin’s Bags to Benches Program to further benefit these local community beautification efforts,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.”

The Pennsylvania communities receiving benches include--

-- Berks County-City of Reading Parks- 3

-- Dauphin County-Harrisburg Public Works- 3

-- Lancaster County-Lititz Run Watershed Alliance-1

-- Lancaster County- Terre Hill Borough-1

-- Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority- 1

-- Lehigh County, Allentown Parks Department- 3

-- Philadelphia- West Philadelphia,  PPR Horticulture Center- 1

-- Philadelphia- Urban Farms and Gardens- North Philadelphia- 3

-- York County Parks & Recreation- 4

Since 1997 GIANT helped donate over 1,500 recycled content benches, removing 15 million bags from the environment through its Bags to Benches Program.

Click Here to sign up now for the 2016 Great American Cleanup of PA or call Michelle Dunn at 877.772.3673 ext. 113. The Cleanup runs through May 31.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel. 

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s new Electronics Waste website.

4/25/2016