Riverwalk bench the goal of plastic collection program
A plastic collection box now sits in the entrance area of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Cornell, with the goal to collect 500 pounds of soft plastics, like grocery bags, pallet wrap and plastic around cases of water. If the goal is met, the community will be rewarded with a Trex bench for the riverwalk, along Mill Yard Park. There will also be boxes at KJ’s Fresh Market and Hey Everything, for people to drop off their recycling. Photo by Julia Wolf
By Julia Wolf
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Cornell, is spearheading community efforts to bring a bench to the riverwalk area, along Mill Yard Park.
Gretchen Grape, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church secretary, says Bags for Benches is a program offered through a Nex-Trex challenge.
“We have to collect 500 pounds of plastic bags and plastic wrap in six months time, and then we will get a free bench for the riverwalk,” said Grape.
Clean and dry plastics like grocery bags, bread bags, cereal box liners, ice bags, bubble wrap, plastic shipping envelopes, Ziploc and reclosable food storage bags, and wraps from around products like toilet paper or cases of water, are recyclable through the program.
Grape says those plastics, which are not recyclable through roadside pickup services, can be dropped off at a recycling box. One recycling box is located at the entrance of the church, and Grape says there will also be one at KJ’s Fresh Market and one at Hey Everything.
“And it takes a lot,” said Grape, adding she hopes they are able to reach the collection goal in the timeframe.
She says she already collected pallet wraps from the grocery store, which helps.
Grape says the benches awarded for hitting the recycling goal are made from Trex boards, like decking is made from.
“So, the bench will be forever on the riverwalk,” said Grape. “It won’t rot. It won’t break.”
Grape says she would like the collection to be a community effort, since the bench is for the community.
She says, after the plastic is collected and weighed, it needs to be taken to Festival Foods in Eau Claire. Grape encourages those who would like to help take the plastic to Eau Claire, to contact the church.
