GCA Clubs’ Commitment to Conservation by Recycling Plastics Yields Benches for the Public and Less Toxic Refuse in Landfills

Repurposing Plastics, One Bench at a Time

March 04, 2026

By: Jennifer Muse

Got Plastic? Bothered by the amount of plastic waste you generate?  Distressed by discarding drycleaner bags, bottles, and bottle caps adding toxicity to mountains of landfills? GCA clubs have found solutions.

For over a decade, collecting plastic refuse and repurposing it into garden benches has been a winning conservation effort for numerous GCA clubs.  Working with NexTrex, GCA clubs   from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to Maryland and Delaware, have collected plastic film, such as bubble wrap, bread bags, and shipping envelopes.  Allyn’s Creek Garden Club (ACGC) of Rochester, NY, collected 1,000 pounds of plastic which yielded one bench. That bench was donated to a community partner’s garden.  

Using another recycling program, The Village Garden Club of Sewickley, PA, sent Green Tree Plastics 200 pounds of plastic caps and lids that were transformed into a bench for Fern Hollow Nature Center.  

The sheer volume of plastics that would otherwise pollute a landfill raised community awareness. Family, friends, and businesses have joined the effort, taking a vested interest in recycling.  An ACGC member said, “It’s eye opening when you see a 50-pound bag of compressed plastic that’s as big as a person and realize the volume needed to reach 1,000 pounds!”  Equally demonstrative were 20 bags of caps and lids in the bed of a pickup truck when The Village Garden Club transported their 200 pounds of plastic for processing.

These conservation projects generated momentum.  Most clubs continued gathering enough plastics for more benches for public spaces.