The city of Lenexa is looking to get a new public bench through unconventional means — by recycling more than 1,000 pounds of plastic bags.
Taking a cue from neighboring cities like Merriam, the city has launched a year-long project where it ask residents to donate plastic bags at three locations in hopes of reaching the magic number of 1,000 pounds, enough to craft a bench.
“This was just something that was a little different that could benefit the community and the environment,” Heather Howell, Lenexa’s human resources specialist and member of Lenexa’s We Care Committee, said.
Here’s where bags are being collected
People can recycle plastic bags at the following locations:
- Lenexa Police Station, 12500 West 87th Street Pkwy.
- Lenexa City Hall, 17101 West 87th Street Pkwy.
- Legler Barn Museum and Depot, 14907 West 87th Street Pkwy.
Since launching in April, the program has collected more than 500 pounds of plastic bags, Howell said.
“People do have a lot of plastic, I will say,” she said. “I know, personally, the Amazon bags that I get every single day that you can’t just toss into the recycling bins, they end up somewhere else. So bring them to Lenexa.”
Many kinds of plastic bags are accepted
The following bags are accepted and must be clean and free of food residue:
- Grocery bags
- Bread bags
- Bubble wrap
- Dry cleaning bags
- Newspaper sleeves
- Ice bags
- Plastic shopping envelopes
- Ziplock and other resealable food storage bags
- Cereal bags
- Case overwrap
- Salt bags
- Pallet wrap and stretch film
- Wood pellet bags
- Produce bags
Lenexa drew inspiration another JoCo city
While Lenexa’s We Care Committee hosts a variety of projects for people in need, it wanted to shift its focus to the environment and making something useful out of plastic waste.
“Traditionally, we’ve done a coat drive, we’ve done a canned food drive, we’ve done Warmth Trees in December,” Howell said. “The environment is something we’re really passionate about, as well.”
The program was inspired by Merriam’s plastic bag drive in 2023, which gathered enough plastic bags to make two benches.
“We were pretty amazed by the response by the community,” said Jenna Gant, Merriam’s communications and public engagement manager, in a previous interview with Flatland KC.
A Virginia company converts plastic waste into benches
Like Merriam, Lenexa is working with Trex Co. Inc., a Virginia-based outdoor products company, and its NexTrex program, which focuses on recycling and sustainability in local communities and schools.
In 2023, the program turned more than 1.8 million pounds of recycled plastic film into sustainable products like benches.
“We want to incentivize people to do the right thing and recycle their plastic films. … It educates the community to let them know they can recycle more than just plastic bags,” Stephanie Hicks, materials and recycling programs manager for Trex, said.
Where will the new bench go?
If the city reaches its 1,000-pound goal, it will be up to the community to decide where the bench will go.
“It’s going to be kind of a community-wide decision, from my understanding, that people will be able to vote on where to place it,” she said. “I would love to see it end up here at City Hall grounds, just to start off with.”
Confident in the early response from people in and around Lenexa, Howell said she’s looking forward to the city getting a new bench with an extra special meaning.
“I think park benches mean a lot to people,” she said. “It’s a place to gather and have a conversation or to rest. It just helps with making the community just a little bit brighter.”
Go deeper: Across Kansas City, a recycling program transforms recycled plastic bags into park benches
