BUCKHANNON – A thousand pounds of plastic grocery bags, bubble wrap and bread bags have a new life — and so does a bench outside the Charles W. Gibson Library, thanks to the Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur’s “Recycle and Play” initiative.
Members of the club placed the bench, valued at over $400 and made entirely from recycled materials, at the library on Wednesday. It was donated by Trex after the club hit its first collection milestone of 1,000 pounds of soft plastics through the program, which launched in 2025.
“We collected 1,000 pounds of soft plastics, which is the first milestone, and for that, we received this bench, which we’re donating to our partners at the Gibson library,” Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur member Keith Buchanan said. “There’s more happening on a bigger scale, and you’ll be hearing about the expanded programs that we have with recycling and baling.”
The initiative collects eligible soft plastics and sells them to Trex at 14 cents per pound. Trex processes the material into durable recycled products like decking, railing and benches. Proceeds are reinvested locally, with funds dedicated to purchasing accessible playground equipment for Buckhannon parks and recreation facilities.
Once the program moves beyond its pilot phase, Rotary leaders say it will serve as a long-term funding mechanism for the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of playground equipment.
Tina Cunningham, who helped get the program started, said the initiative is a win-win for the community.
“Soft plastics are among the most overlooked recyclable items, and currently Upshur County is not recycling them, so that was part one,” Cunningham said. “Part two was that if we recycle those items, the money that we generate from recycling them can be put back into the community for the kids. So, we decided to purchase our own baler so we can process the plastic ourselves.”
The club has expanded the effort to include several drop-off locations so community members can also donate plastic. Drop-off spots are located at Coldwell Banker, Kelly Tierney State Farm, the Upshur County Parish House, Chapel Hill Church, Mountain CAP, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Klie Law, West Virginia Wesleyan College and the Rock Cave Parish House satellite location.
Accepted items include plastic shopping bags, bread bags, produce bags, ice bags from the pantry, Ziploc and other re-closable storage bags, cereal box liners, case overwrap from products like bottled water and paper towels, plastic e-commerce mailers, bubble wrap, dry-cleaning bags and newspaper sleeves.
The City of Buckhannon, Weyerhaeuser and Wendling’s are baling the soft plastics and preparing them for donation, and then Trex picks up the deliveries for the club.
“We have been bringing all these bags from the drop-off locations to the new baler we purchased for the city, and as soon as they compress it, the first bale will weigh close to 950 pounds — and if they compress two, that will be one ton,” Buchanan said. “In the meantime, Weyerhaeuser has been producing for three months, and then, in the future, Wendling’s Food Service is going to be donating plastic.”
The club’s goal is to continue to expand the recycling program in the months and years to come.
“We have to get the process right — we have to make sure the materials we’re collecting meet the standards — but everyone is communicating and working together to improve the process,” Buchanan said. “The end goal is to donate enough plastic that we are given sustainable and inclusive playground equipment for kids who don’t have anything they can use.”
