D.A.R.E. Students to Turn Caps Into Community Benches

D.A.R.E. Officer Daniel Iiams will soon launch an effort with D.A.R.E. students to transform caps and lids headed for the landfill into community benches. 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.

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.