SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Springfield Rotary Club has once again made a positive impact on the community by donating a Trex outdoor bench to Springfield Community Players Studio, following a successful effort by residents to collect 1,000 pounds of thin-film plastics for the Trex Thin-Film Plastics Challenge.
As part of the Trex recycling program, Trex awarded this 11th bench to the Springfield Rotary after Springfield residents contributed to the collection. The plastics for this donation came from several local contributors: 55% was gathered at the Springfield Town Library, 16% from Magee Office Products, 12% from Springfield Food Co-op, and the remaining amount was collected from Bibens Ace Hardware, Casey CDJR of Springfield, Springfield GMC, and Springfield Hospital. Since February 2023, the Springfield Rotary Club has collected over 9,144 pounds (more than 4.5 tons) of thin-film plastic.
The Trex Thin-Film Plastics Challenge is designed to encourage recycling of items such as grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags, cereal bags, ice bags, bubble wrap, Ziploc bags, and other similar plastic films. When participants collect 1,000 pounds of these materials, Trex rewards the group with a 48-inch Yacht Club Bench, which is part of the Trex Outdoor Furniture line through Polywood. These benches are made using recycled plastic, including milk jugs and water bottles, while the collected plastic is upcycled into Trex decking.
Plastic pollution is a significant environmental issue, as plastic materials don’t fully decompose, breaking down into microplastics that pose risks to wildlife and are difficult to clean up. The Trex challenge offers a creative solution to reduce plastic waste, which can damage mechanical equipment in curbside recycling programs. By participating in the challenge, Springfield residents are helping to reduce harmful plastic pollution, while making a lasting contribution to the community.
Previous benches can be found at locations such as The Common, the Park Street School, the North Springfield Bog trailhead, Main Street, the Springfield Town Library, and Elm Street School.
Volunteers from the Springfield Rotary Club and from the Springfield Town Library collect and weigh the bags, report the bags’ weight to Trex, and deliver the bags to Trex’s closest participating dropoff retailer location, Shaw’s Supermarket in Springfield. The Trex Bin will remain in place at the Springfield Town Library.
Looking ahead, the Rotary Club has already begun collecting plastic film for another bench as part of their ongoing efforts to support the community. The benches are dedicated to celebrating the 95th anniversary of the Springfield Rotary.
Founded in 1927, the Rotary Club of Springfield is a vibrant community service organization with more than 40 members dedicated to both local and international service projects. For more information, visit www.springfieldvtrotary.org.