Residents encouraged to join recycling program

Chances are many residents have piles of empty plastic bags in pantries or in the garage.

The City of El Paso’s Environmental Services Department wants to turn those bags into benches.

The city’s goal is to collect thousands of plastic bags that will be recycled to make benches and placed around El Paso recreation centers and City Hall.

It takes 70,000 bags to make one bench.

The Environmental Services Department has teamed up with Trex Company, the country’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing products.

The program is urging residents to take a more aggressive approach at recycling.

“We really need to start recycling more and realizing more about how to reduce our waste, the goal overall is waste reduction we don’t want all the bags to end up in the landfill,” said Romie Ruiz, Partnerships and Public Programs coordinator for the Environmental Services Department.

There are ten locations right now that are competing to get the first bench made out of recycled bags.

The competition is meant to push residents to join in the efforts. “The goal is to create a new mindset here in town about recycling,” said Ruiz.

Below are the locations where you can drop off plastic bags:

– 7968 San Paulo

– 9311 Alameda

– 4451 Delta

– 7400 High Ridge

– 11620 Vista Del Sol

– 4435 Maxwell

– 620 E. Seventh

– 4001 E. Paisano