Plastics Recycling UPDATE
Plastics recycling is booming at Good Shepherd. We now collect more than a box of plastic wrapping in the recycle box weekly (up from two bags a month). Overall, the program managed by the Lion’s Club is collecting over 500 pounds of plastic wrapping monthly! The Lion’s Club sorts the plastic and removes any paper from the plastic wrapping at the Westside Food Bank. Volunteers then take the plastic to Tumwater Safeway where it is shipped to Seattle for pick-up by the Trex Corporation. The plastic is used to create outdoor decking material.
Are you interested in helping sort the plastic collected at the church and in our community? Meet Barb Lantz, congregation member at the Westside Thurston County Food Bank Warehouse, 2260 Mottman Rd. SW Tumwater, 98512 most Thursday mornings starting at 9:00 a.m. We will volunteer for two hours together to package plastic. You must be able bodied, i.e., able to stand on hard surfaces and manipulate large pieces of plastic into plastic bags. For more information, contact Barb Lantz at happinessandlight2@gmail.com or 360-584-8395 (cell or text).
The program is sponsored by the Olympia Lion's Club and the Thurston County Food Bank. Plastic can be placed inside the large box in Crary Hall. Plastics should be clean of food particles and dry. Please contact Barb Lantz (happinessandlight2@gmail.com or cell/text: 360-584-8395) if you can spare a couple of hours each week to help sort. This program is sponsored by the Olympia Lion's Club and the Thurston County Food Bank., and is a way to recycle some of the plastics not collected by the City of Olympia’s recycling program.
Plastics should be clean of food particles and dry.
Below are lists of which types of plastic may and may not be recycled through this program.
YES, we collect these plastics:
Plastics that stretch - if there is no number 2 or number 4 on the item, then the item must stretch. To check if it stretches, place your thumb inside the plastic, pull plastic taught, then pull it away from you. If it stretches, then it is recyclable.
Produce and bread bags
Grocery bags
Cereal box liners (NO cracker box liners)
Plastic overwrap from paper towels, toilet paper, dry cleaner bags
Ice bags
Ziploc or other re-closable bags (if attached, cut off zippers from bags)
Newspaper bags
Amazon, Macy's Target, etc. bags. (please turn inside out)
Bubble wrap
Bubble wrap and plastic envelopes with bubble wrap lining - stretchable
NO, we do not collect these plastics:
Plastic that makes a 'crinkling sound' or does not stretch. An example is Top Ramen plastic.
No hard plastic containers (put these in your recycling can)
No paper envelopes lined with plastic bubbles attached to paper
No plastic bags of dog food
No saran wrap or other kitchen plastic wrap
No milk jugs
No bubble wrap attached to styrofoam
