Beginning in March 2025, the Garden and Apex UMC are partnering in collecting polyethylene films (plastic film and overwraps) to be recycled into Trex decking and outdoor products. Of course, avoiding plastic is the first, best option, but if you do have these products, recycling them is a much better alternative than sending them to the landfill. There will be one bin in the shed at the garden and 2 bins at the church, one in Crossroads and one in the CLC near the other recycling bins. Church and garden members can place their clean, dry plastic into the bins.

When the bins are full, volunteers from the Garden will pick them up and take them to several local places where they will be compressed into bails for transport to the Trex company in Virginia. The Trex company makes decking boards and rails, outdoor furniture, lattice and other products that are 95% recycled plastic combined with reclaimed sawdust. In addition to this being a great green initiative for creation care, if we are able to collect 1000 pounds in 12 months, the Trex company will give us a bench made from their material. We really don’t know if it’s feasible for us to collect that much as most of these products are pretty lightweight, but we feel it’s a good initiative regardless.

We hope you will join us in collecting these products to keep them out of our landfills and to extend their lives to a new use. If you would like more information, would like to help with this project or have questions, please contact Anne Harrison at anneh21@gmail.com or 919-616-6659.