The Eudora Lions Club collected over 500 pounds of soft plastics — including grocery bags, bubble wrap and bread wrappers — and earned a free bench from Trex, a boarding company that manufactures decks and railings out of recyclable material.
The plastic was collected solely from club members in fewer than four months. The bench, made of recyclable plastic, is now in the Giving Garden.
Eric Strimple, secretary of the Lions Club, said he was proud the club collected so much plastic in such a short period.
“Getting the bench really gave us a sense of accomplishment,” Strimple said. “Especially since we did it so fast. The real celebration was when we placed it in the garden, and we knew we helped fill a need in the community.”
The Giving Garden had been looking for a bench for several months and originally asked members of the community if they had any old benches to donate.
When they received the bench from Trex, however, head gardener Aman Reaka said it was a vital addition to the garden and he was happy to receive it.
“It was a huge surprise for all of us,” Reaka said. “We weren’t planning on getting a nice, fancy, painted bench. We were basically just looking for anything we could get our hands on. So, everyone was very happy, and it looks amazing out there.”
The Lions Club national organization has five areas of focus in its community service work: vision, hunger, diabetes, cancer and the environment.
Karen Lane, the club’s administrator, said environmentalism provides a connection with nature and is especially important to the club’s mission.
“The way I see it, we are all one earth,” Lane said. “Oftentimes, as humans, we take, take and take, and we forget to give back. That’s what we strive to do: find a balance between taking care of the earth and sustaining it for all future generations.”
The Lions Club will collect soft plastics again in October and is asking the community to join this time around.
Community members can drop off soft plastics at Barbwire Barbecue when the next collection round begins. The club will send out information regarding the collections on its Facebook page.
Strimple said he is excited to involve more people in the next plastic drive and hopes they will earn another bench to place in the community.
“Involving our community and having a sponsor like Barbwire Barbecue is going to be a game changer,” Strimple said. “It’s going to be a lot more organized this time, and we are hoping to get a lot done with the gracious help of everyone.”
Reach reporter Jenna Barackman at [email protected]
