Submitted by Kim Diamond
Berkeley Heights residents are doing their part to keep thin film plastics out of landfills and by recycling them. Thanks to the Trex Thin Film Plastics Bins the Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission (BHEC) placed around town, residents have contributed over 2,100 pounds of thin film plastics since June.
The BHEC initiated this collaboration with the Trex Company, a Virginia-based company that repurposes thin film plastics and uses them in the outdoor decking and furniture that they manufacture. If a particular organization collects over 500 pounds of thin film plastics in under a six month period, Trex will award that organization with a Trex bench.
To date, in addition to the BHEC, several other Berkeley Heights organizations have participated in the Trex Thin Film Plastics Challenge (the “Trex Challenge”), collecting thin film plastics from the Trex Bins that the BHEC placed in six locations: the library, the police station, the YMCA, Pet Supplies Plus, Columbia Middle School, and Governor Livingston High School. These organizations have included the Berkeley Heights Recreation Department as well as Sandy Hook Promise (also known as Start With Hello – BH). Each of these groups has now earned a Trex bench. All three benches will be placed in public areas within the Berkeley Heights community.
“It felt really great to give back, and show our commitment to the community in another way, as we continue our work with Sandy Hook Promise,” said volunteer Vicki Baum. “As I left one collection site carrying a heavy bag, a woman with small children stopped me and asked ‘Are you one of the Sandy Hook Promise Volunteers? Thank you!’”
Any organization that is interested in participating in the Trex Challenge should contact the BHEC, so that they can reserve their place in the queue for handling the Trex Bin collections.
In October, the BHEC received a 2018 Environmental Achievement Award from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) at ANJEC’s 45th Annual Environmental Congress for the BHEC’s success in engaging the community in an effort to promote a cleaner, healthier environment through the Trex Challenge.
The Trex Challenge has provided additional community benefits as well. As a result of the Trex bin at the library, the library experienced more foot traffic this summer than it had in the last number of years, notwithstanding its new, smaller location. In fact, the Trex bin at the library is the most popular location at which people have been dropping off their thin film plastics.
“The Trex Challenge was a great initiative for Start With Hello – BH,” noted Karen Cassels Foote. “It was an opportunity to bring a group of neighbors together and to bring awareness to the Sandy Hook Promise Programs, help the environment, and to earn a Start With Hello – BH Friendship Bench!”
(above) Two librarians at the Berkeley Heights Library, standing beside the Trex bin and the overflowing amount of thin film plastics from that bin.
(above) One of the YMCA directors standing next to the YMCA Trex bin.
(above) The ANJEC 45th Annual Environmental Congress, showing what 500 plastic bags looks like. This was the conference at which ANJEC presented the Berkeley Heights Environmental Commission with a 2018 Environmental Achievement Award for its Thin Film Plastics Collection efforts.
