Samantha McNeil, the Outreach Coordinator for York County, is involved in the Trex Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge. Her goal is to divert reusable or recyclable materials away from landfills. For years, people have been dropping their plastic into bins like these all across York County. And all that plastic has been turned into seven benches. “By participating in the program, we have opportunities to turn that material into something much more useful,” says McNeil.
So what is the Trex Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge? It is to collect 500 pounds of plastic over a six month period. McNeil says they exceed that amount by hundreds. Once they do collect the 500 pounds, that plastic is then shipped to the Trex processing plant in Winchester. “The plastic bags that our community collects is actually returned in the form of a bench,” says McNeil. That means, there’s a good chance a piece of plastic waste you dropped into one of the bins is actually a part of a bench you sit on.
“Bring us your plastic. Bring us your wood pellet bags, bring us your ice bags, bring us your plastic bags from the grocery store,” says McNeil. “Look to see if the material will stretch. If it’s stretchy, you can put it in. If it’s crinkly and shiny, leave it out,” says Hicks.