Recycling Becomes a Ministry

Story and photos by Sandii Peiffer

In the midst of COVID pandemic, Wendy Miller, a member of Aldersgate UMC in Mechanicsburg, was inspired by a sermon about stewardship given by Rev. Jan Hughes. Good stewardship isn’t just being wise with money, but also about making the most of our possessions and reducing what we throw away. It got Miller thinking. She knew of some schools that recycled plastic film and wondered if the church could do it too. She contacted NexTrex, the recycling program of the Trex company, and started a new ministry in November 2020.

The ministry is one of stewardship and outreach. People are invited to fill collection bins, located inside and outside the church, with soft plastic bags, plastic film, and packing materials including bubble wrap. There are four collection bins at the church that include a picture of the plastics that are accepted. On a regular basis, the donated plastics are collected, consolidated, weighed, the weight recorded, and then they are dropped off at an approved collection point, which is a nearby supermarket. The weights of the donations are tallied and reported monthly online, via an account with NexTrex. When they reach the required goal of 500lbs in six months, NexTrex uses about 15% of the plastic to make a composite park bench, which it donates back to the donor, in this case Aldersgate Church, ready-to-assemble. The rest of the donated plastic is used to make composite decking and building materials. 

Since 2020, Aldersgate Church has met the goal of collecting 500lbs of plastic every six months, and they have received five park benches in return. The first three park benches were placed around the church in a garden area and the preschool playground. Bench number four was gifted to Mission Central, who auctioned it for a fundraiser. Bench number five was given to the nearby Good Hope Fire Station in Mechanicsburg. Future benches already have designated community service recipients and each bench will include a plaque to let people know it is a gift of Aldersgate UMC.

It’s a win-win ministry: good stewardship through recycling, and outreach by letting the community know Aldersgate Church cares about the earth and the community through their donated benches. I addition, NexTrex gets the “waste” materials they need to manufacture their products too. Another win. 

Miller hopes to grow the ministry to provide two park benches every six months - that’s 1 US ton of waste reduced, reused, and recycled every year!

For more information about the plastic recycling/park bench program, check out nextrex.com.