Grant will pay for six benches in the Freeport Park

Winneshiek County Conservation has been awarded $2,000 through the Build with Bags grant program to help fund the purchase of six new benches that will be placed along the Freeport Trail.

The benches, made from recycled plastic bags, will be purchased from Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls, Inc.  Each bench represents approximately 10,600 plastic bags that won't end up in the landfill.

Winneshiek County Conservation was one of 18 grant recipients selected from 39 submitted applications.  A total of $32,464.85 in grant funds was awarded.

Now in its seventh year, the Build with Bags grant program is a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and The Des Moines Register.  It has distributed almost $250,000 in grants to more than 150 communities.

In addition to providing funding for the purchase of furniture and equipment made from recycled plastic for parks and schools, the Build with Bags program also strives to reduce the consumption of plastic bags, encourage the use of reusable bags, and increase the amount of plastic bags recycled.

The Decorah Fareway store played an important role in making this grant possible, as Store Manager David Noack provided a letter of support on behalf of Winneshiek County that led to it being selected to receive a grant.

For more information on Build with Bags or its grant program opportunities, please visit www.itseasytorecycle.org.