The challenge: collect 1,000 pounds of plastic in a year and receive a new bench made of similarly recycled materials.
Riverside Walter Reed Hospital (RWRH) met that target within six months. The hospital partnered on the drive with Trex Company Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative composite decking, railing and other outdoor items. Trex products are made up of 95 percent recycled materials.
Headquartered in Winchester, Trex facilitates a plastic bag recycling effort in most communities across the country in collaboration with organizations such as Riverside. RWRH’s project was spearheaded by Vonnie James, Finance & Operations Director, Bruce Hoyt, Protection Officer and Rene Welz, Certified Sterile Processing Tech Lead.
Participants collect clean and dry plastic bags and other approved plastic packaging material, weigh it, take it to participating reception centers and log a photo and the weight of each delivery in the Trex recycling website. Once the total reaches 1,000 pounds, Trex rewards the organization with a free Trex-composite bench.
“We don’t know yet where this bench will go, or if we’ll start another campaign anytime soon, but the enthusiasm and participation has far exceeded our expectations,” James says.
Welz introduced the idea to RWRH after watching the Gloucester Lion’s Club collect plastic for benches and donate them to local organizations. Donations of plastic bags and household plastics poured in from RWRH team members, as well as Whitley’s Peanut Factory – Hoyt’s wife works there – the Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic and Hayes Medical Center.
Hoyt and Welz – known as the “Recycling Wizards” – gathered plastics weekly from four Trex-supplied bins at the hospital, placed strategically out of view of patients and visitors but in convenient drop-off locations for team members. James drove many of the items to a Food Lion depository, including one 47-pound delivery in her Mini Cooper convertible.
“Thanks to everyone who has made this challenge such a success in a short amount of time,” James says. “It has been a wonderful team effort.”