BVA Rotary donates bench made from recycled materials for youth sports complex

A collaborative effort led to the collection of 1,000 pounds of plastic to create the sturdy bench.

For the MVI

The Belle Vernon Area Rotary Club recently donated a bench made from recycled materials to the Belle Vernon Area Youth Sports complex in Washington Township. President Brian Lilley and Mary Yoder Manown accepted the bench on behalf of the youth association.

BVA Rotarian Denise Sztroin led the project by coordinating the collection of 1,000 pounds of plastic to create the bench through a partnership with the NexTrex Recycling Challenge.

Through its recycling program, Trex, a manufacturer of wood-alternative decking products, encourages the public to recycle grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags, cereal bags, ice bags, case overwrap, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, Ziploc and other resealable bags and wrap for other objects.

For every 1,000 pounds of plastic film a sponsoring organization collects, Trex donates a 4-foot-long composite bench through its furniture line. The benches are made out of milk jugs and water bottles, while the collected plastic waste is used in other Trex decking products.

Sztroin’s co-workers at TricorBraun — a global wholesale packaging corporation with a facility in Rostraver Township — Kris Brown, Mike Malone, John Kostelac and Dan Mason, helped collect and pack the material.

Ray Moody and Buddy Manown of NAPAAuto Parts also helped by collecting and packing eligible materials.

Rotary members also assisted with the project, including Tom Yoder, who built the bench.

The Belle Vernon Rotary Club was established in 1933 and serves the communities in the Belle Vernon Area and Frazier school districts. Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Cedarbrook Clubhouse Grille.

Find out more about Belle Vernon Rotary at www.bvarotary. com and Facebook/ BVARotary.