The orange Hefty EnergyBags full of hard-to-recycle plastics collected by Omaha-area residents are now being used in a different way. In February, Omaha company Firstar Fiber kicked off its plastic lumber production operation. The company handles recycling for the City of Omaha. Before the company began holding the orange bags to make lumber, the plastics were sent to the Kansas City area, where they were used to create a fuel used in the production of concrete.
Plastic lumber made from the plastics from Hefty EnergyBags from Omaha can already be found in town, Firstar Fiber President Dale Gubbels told 3 News Now. It was used to make benches to the west of what will be the new youth detention facility downtown. The material was produced in Canada and shipped back to Omaha. Gubbel’s patio is made from the plastic lumber. He says it holds up better than that made from trees. He said it’s a win-win, diverting plastics from the landfill and combating deforestation with alternative lumber.
So far, more than 800 boards have been created in Omaha. “This creates a local, circular economy,” Gubbels said, “where we can make products locally that are benefiting people locally.” Hefty’s EnergyBag program operates in a few markets nationwide, including Omaha and Lincoln. The others are in the cities and surrounding areas of Atlanta, Boise, Idaho, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The orange bags are sold in some local grocery stores and big box stores, and can be found with trash bags.