R-P Recycles Nearly a Ton of Plastic Bags

Last May, Rushford-Peterson’s Go Green Club collaborated with the Rushford Lions to establish a plastic bag recycling program with the goal of getting plastic bags out of landfills. Plastics take over 1,000 years to disintegrate. R-P’s Go Green advisor Jacob Kramer had learned of a program called NexTrex sponsored by Trex designed to recycle plastic bags. 

One of the pillars of the Lions Club International is environment; Larry Bartelson, a Lion and Active R-P supporter, knew of similar plastic recycling programs being conducted by 30 Lions’ Clubs in Southeast Minnesota. 

Soon, collection bins were arriving and began filling up quickly. Within two months, they had their first bins filled and needed storage space for the bags. Bartelson contacted Luke Rye and Dennie Darr at the Ferndale Golf Course to ask for help. Darr and Rye generously gave them the use of two golf cart sheds.

Originally, Go Green advisor Jacob Kramer and Lion Larry Bartelson started taking collected bags to HyVee in Winona. HyVee would only accept two garbage bags full of bags a week while ten bags were soon being collected weekly; a different destination had to be found for the bags. 

The Lions’ District Governor knew someone at Mower County Recycling Center and had convinced them to apply to be a collection site for Trex. The Center already had all the necessary equipment. R-P had found the destination for the bags!

Five short months later, the group had successfully collected 987 pounds of bags. In October 2023, Lion President Tony Becker drove his pickup and trailer full of bags to Mower County Recycling Center to drop off the bags. 

When it was time to take a second load of bags to the Center, a school van and trailer were used. The second load totaled 702 pounds. NexTrex pays Mower County Recycling per bale for the recycled bags which are then used to produce Trex decking material. R-P does not get any reimbursement for the bags; Trex does however donate a Trex park bench to the group for every 1,000 pounds they collect. 

Bartelson and Kramer thanked Marcus Thompson, who runs the multi-million dollar Mower County Recycling Center, for all his assistance to them as they deliver their loads. 

Bartelson and Kramer are planning to place some of the donated benches along the planned 1½ mile hiking trail in back of the school. In the future, the Lions are also planning on adding some benches along Rush Creek as well. CTE instructor Colby Lind will be routing the benches so both a Lions’ button and an R-P button can be inserted into the back. 

Currently, collection bins can be found at Ace Hardware, Rushford Foods, the American Legion and Rushford-Peterson School. Posters have been placed around Rushford detailing the types of plastic bags that can be recycled. Some of those types include shopping bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, plastic shipping envelopes, salt bags, pallet wrap and produce bags. The public is encouraged to bring their plastic bags to the bins.

The largest contributors have been Rushford Foods and Ace. Every other week, someone needs to go to the stores to pick up their collections of plastic. Both Kramer and Bartelson enthused about the generosity and help they have received from Brad Hoiness of Rushford Foods and Kim and Greg Norsland of Ace. Craig Johnson helps to make sure all the plastic is retrieved from Ace. 

Pam’s Corner is now also collecting and saving plastic for the program. During Wellness Month in May, there will be a competition at the school encouraging everyone to bring in as many bags as possible for the program. 

Kramer wants to get the Go Green members more involved in the project. The members are able to earn Silver Cord volunteer community service hours by helping with the collection. The Lions offer another community service opportunity for students with the city flower basket watering; students are encouraged to join them and help water baskets.

Go Green has over 40 members; free events are open to the entire school. Go Green cleans the creek and stream sampling is completed as part of a class. The club offers monthly outings such as camping trips, rock climbing, canoeing, fishing and hiking. A prairie garden has been planted at the school with seeds donated by Prairie Moon. 

Beginning next year, the Lions will help with Trout in the Classroom; the trout will later be released in local streams. The Lions also donated money to a fishing rod building project for the school. 

Collaboration between the Go Green Club and the Rushford Lions will continue to be ongoing. Jacob Kramer enthused, “This is the beginning of the program; it’s only going to grow from here!”