This number represents the estimated number of plastic bags that LaRC personnel diverted from local landfills in 2016!
LaRC again participated with the York/Poquoson Master Gardeners in collecting clean plastic bags and films for recycling during October Energy Action Month. Donated material totaled 116 pounds over the three-week collection period and will be included in LaRC’s annual waste diversion reporting. Special thanks go to Building 1268C personnel for donating 29 pounds towards this total. These recycled plastic bags and films will add to local Master Gardener collection goals toward receiving an additional composite bench for placement at a community park, school, or learning garden.
When added to April’s Earth Month collection, LaRC personnel have donated a total of 285 pounds of clean plastic bags and films during calendar year 2016. This amount is equivalent to diverting at least 31,500 plastic grocery bags from our local waste stream. LaRC’s April collection completed the Master Gardeners’ six-month goal and resulted in placement of a composite bench in the Poquoson Learning Garden.
The Standard Practice and Environmental Engineering Branch (SPEEB) and York/Poquoson Master Gardeners thank all who participated and look forward to our next collection planned for Earth Day in April 2017.
This is fantastic! I understand that it is a tiresome loop to market and coordinate collections after collections like this. I already reduce and reuse plastic bags as much as possible, but I would personally recycle them more if receptacles were distributed year-round.