DES MOINES, Iowa – The North Iowa Fair Association will be making some seating upgrades to the North Iowa Events Center courtesy of the Build with Bags program.
The plastic bag recycling program being led by Iowa grocers announced yesterday that the North Iowa Fair Association is one of 15 recipients of a Build with Bags grant award in 2013 and will receive a grant of $1,914.66 to obtain six new park benches made from recycled plastic. The grant will allow the fair association to provide convenient casual seating for visitors who attend the many events held on North Iowa Events Center grounds.
“We are excited to announce the winners of the Build with Bags grant program,” says Michelle Hurd, president of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. “Now in its fourth year, the Build with Bags program has exceeded our expectations in encouraging individuals to recycle their plastic bags so those bags can be turned into products that beautify our communities. This year’s grant winners are reaping the rewards of their recycling efforts, and we hope other communities will follow suit and expand their recycling efforts.”
A total of 24 applications were submitted from which 15 winners were selected by a committee of five representatives in support of the Build with Bags program. Each committee member individually scored applications prior to meeting as a group to combine the scores for an overall point total. The top 15 applicants with the most points received grants totaling $22,963.08.
Applications were evaluated based on set criteria that included a statement of need for the grant and the community’s own plastic bag recycling efforts. Grant applicants were also asked to verify the recycled plastic content in the products they were looking to purchase and obtain an endorsement letter from a local grocer who is supportive of the community’s project and recycling plans. Geographic location also played a factor as the committee wanted to disperse the grant awards throughout the state of Iowa.
The local eastside Hy-Vee store played an important role in making this grant possible. Store Director Brad Walters wrote a letter of support on behalf of the North Iowa Fair Association that led to them being selected to receive a grant.
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“While the endorsement letter is not the most weighted category in the selection process, it is one of the most vital to the Build with Bags program,” Hurd explains. “In the program committee’s eyes, it reflects how the applying community is working with its local grocers to establish long-term projects and goals that help increase the awareness of plastic bag recycling.”
Encouraging purchases of furniture and equipment made from recycled plastic for parks and schools through its grant program is one of four goals established by Build with Bags. The other three include increasing the amount of plastic bags recycled, reducing consumption of plastic bags and increasing use of reusable bags.
The eastside Mason City Hy-Vee store is one of many participating retailers, including all Dahl’s Foods, Fareway Stores and Hy-Vee locations statewide plus many independent grocers.
Build with Bags, a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, City Carton Recycling and The Des Moines Register, was originally launched in August 2009.
For more information on Build with Bags or its grant program opportunities, please visit www.itseasytorecycle.org or www.iowagrocers.com.
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About Build with Bags
The Build with Bags Program is a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, City Carton and The Des Moines Register. Over the course of several months, representatives of each of these organizations witnessed focus groups convened to discuss plastic bag issues and then met to develop a program aimed at demonstrating how Iowa grocers could help to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags. In addition to reducing the environmental footprint of plastic bags, the goal of the group was also to provide an effective alternative to plastic bag bans and the unintended consequences that often result from bans and other related regulatory efforts.
About the Iowa Grocery Industry Association
The Iowa Grocery Industry Association is a state trade association that represents the food industry, including chain and independent supermarkets, convenience stores, mass merchandisers, wholesalers, brokers, manufacturers and distributors. Founded in 1899, the IGIA has long served as a resource to its members, the food industry and the general public providing education, legislative support, networking and philanthropic programs. IGIA headquarter are located in Urbandale, Iowa. More information can be found online at www.iowagrocers.com.
