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Portage environmental board, youth committee launch one-year plastic bag recycling challenge
Summary
The Environmental Advisory Board and Youth Advisory Committee are starting a one-year plastic bag recycling drive on March 1 with collection at City Hall and school drop-off locations; Nextrex will provide a recycled-plastic bench if 1,000 pounds are collected.
Portage — The Portage Environmental Advisory Board and the Youth Advisory Committee introduced a one-year plastic bag recycling challenge beginning March 1, the groups said at the Feb. 25 City Council meeting.
Lauren Tompkins, who identified herself as a resident at 675 South Shore Drive and a member of the Environmental Advisory Board, outlined the program and collection logistics. “The intention is to reduce plastic waste in our community by providing convenient drop off locations,” Tompkins said.
The program will accept grocery bags, retail and department store bags, bread and produce bags, outer plastic wrap (such as water-bottle wrap), resealable food bags, bubble wrap and air pillows (deflated to save space), newspaper sleeves, dry-cleaning bags and box liners for cereal and crackers. Tompkins said all material should be clean and dry.
Residents can drop material at a designated bin inside City Hall during normal business hours — Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Fridays 8 a.m. to noon — and collection bins will also be placed at Portage Northern and Portage Central high schools through participating environmental clubs. The initiative will partner with Nextrex, which will provide a recycled-plastic bench for placement in a city park if participants recycle 1,000 pounds of plastic film.
Why this matters: Tompkins cited national figures on plastic-bag usage and marine pollution to underscore the scale of the problem and said the local challenge aims to both divert material from landfill and encourage longer-term policy changes to reduce single-use plastics.
Next steps: The program begins March 1; City Hall staff will host the drop-off bin during regular business hours and participating schools will collect bags from students. Organizers asked residents to consult the list posted on the front of the bin for permitted items and to ensure materials are clean and dry before dropping them off.
