BAKER CITY — Recycling certain plastics is easier in Baker City thanks to a project by the Rotary Club.

The program is in partnership with Trex, which manufactures composite decking made from recycled materials.

“This initiative provides Baker County residents with an easy and effective way to keep plastic waste out of landfills while contributing to the production of sustainable building materials,” said Ken Krohn, president of the Baker City Rotary Club.

What can be recycled?

The Trex Recycling Program accepts soft plastics including grocery bags, bread bags, overwrap from water bottle cases or paper towels, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, resealable food storage bags (clean and dry), bubble wrap, cereal box liners, and salt and pellet bags.

What cannot be recycled?

These plastics are not accepted: rigid plastic containers or bottles, cling wrap or food-contaminated plastics, hard plastic packaging, biodegradable or compostable bags.

Recycle sites

Rotary has set up drop-off locations for recyclable plastics at Grocery Outlet and Rite Aid in Baker City, and Haines Market and Deli in Haines.

The bags will be collected once a week, weighed, and delivered to Safeway or Albertsons, where trucks will take the plastic to a distribution center. From there, Trex picks up the plastic to repurpose it for composite decking and outdoor products.

In just a month, the club has collected 80 pounds of plastic.

“Our goal within a year is to get 1,000 pounds, then we get a free bench for our community,” Krohn said.

Other businesses are encouraged to collect their plastic to add to the shipments, and the club welcomes community members who would like to volunteer to help collect from the drop sites. 

For more information, contact Krohn at kenkrohn@duck.com.

Why it matters

Soft plastics are not accepted at most recycling programs, such as the drop-off site at Baker Sanitary Service in Baker City.

“This initiative is an important step in reducing plastic waste in Baker County while encouraging community involvement in sustainability efforts,” Krohn said.

He said the program helps keep plastic out of the local landscapes and wildlife habitats, encourages community engagement, and helps create sustainable products such as Trex decking.

“Whether you’re dropping off plastic bags from your last grocery trip or collecting recyclables from your workplace, every contribution counts,” he said. “It’s a win-win.”