Cap Collection Continues for Community Benches

A community wide effort to transform caps and lids headed for the landfill into community benches is off to a strong start. D.A.R.E. Officer Daniel Iiams launched the program in October and plans to continue the program with D.A.R.E. students this semester.

At last count, Iiams said students and residents have collected over 175 pounds of caps and lids. Iiams anticipates he will have enough collected to have a bench made in the next month.

Green Tree Plastics outside of St. Louis offers the program and works with schools and youth related groups across the country through their ABC Program, to teach children about caring for the earth and green living. Students collect plastic lids and caps which are generally not recyclable through traditional residential and business recycling services. These lids and caps are delivered to Green Tree to be transformed into benches for parks, schools, and community use.

This project is no small feat. One bench takes hundreds of pounds of collected caps and lids. Iiams hopes to use this project to show students how small changes can add up to something positive.

D.A.R.E. students at each of the district’s elementary schools will be collecting caps and lids for the project. Additionally, residents may also support the program by dropping of caps and lids to the Police Department Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm.

Iiams would like the project to continue beyond this school year, providing benches to schools, churches, and community sites throughout Grain Valley.

D.A.R.E., a nationwide program that introduces elementary school children to the dangers of drugs and alcohol, along with exposing youth to a positive interaction with law enforcement officials, is supported by Jackson County COMBAT. The Community Backed Anti- Crime Tax (COMBAT) is utilized to fight substance abuse and drug-related crime in Jackson County. Jackson County voters first approved the tax in 1989.

ACCEPTABLE CAPS- Caps with recycle #’s 2, 4, or 5, medicine bottle caps, drink bottle caps (soda, water, juice, sport drinks, milk jug caps), flip-top caps (such as lids from ketchup bottles), detergent caps, spout caps (found on mustard bottles), hair spray caps, spray paint caps, toothpaste caps, ointment tube caps, deodorant caps, baby food caps, apple sauce pouch caps, shampoo/conditioner caps.

ACCEPTABLE LIDS- Lids with recycle #’s 2, 4, or 5, cottage cheese container lids, whipped topping container lids, plastic jar lids, coffee can lids, yogurt lids, peanut butter jar lids, butter container lids, ice cream bucket lids under 8", plastic chip cannister lids.

Photo credit: Green Tree Plastics