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Adopt A Bin

In order to help our community on an everyday level both aesthetically and environmentally, we are running a program to turn everyday-use plastic bags into beautiful benches. As an adoptee of one of these bins, you would be picking up the bags from local county libraries, weighing them, recording the data in our spreadsheet, and bringing the bags to nearby Giant Grocery Stores. KPWB will provide supplies (Scale and Bags for the bins)

We need your help to sustain this program!

With more locations participating in our program we are asking you to Adopt A Bin near you. By adopting a bin you will visit the site weekly to collect the recycled plastic. You will need to sort out and dispose of any unacceptable plastic in order to get an accurate weight. After weighing please record that weight in our community spreadsheet we provide and drop off the accepted plastic at a local Giant Food grocery store. KPWB will provide all the supplies such as bags, gloves, and a digital scale.

Plastic bags and film packaging are important durable, and lightweight protection for food and merchandise in transit. But these materials SHOULD NOT be recycled in our curbside single-stream programs. Thankfully, many grocers and retailers and some communities provide specific collection bins for bags and film to be recycled separately from other recyclables.

When you donate your plastic film to our NexTrex bins located at select libraries, not only are you helping to keep thousands of pounds of waste out of the landfill, you’re also helping us donate and install benches around the county that are made from the donated plastic film.

How it Works

  • Step 1: Pick up the plastic for recycling from the Central Library located at 8601 Mathis Ave, Manassas, VA 20110. The library has two bins. Please check both bins and with the staff if there is any more plastic for recycling stored in the back.
    • Clear 40lb trash bags should line each bin. KPWB will supply these bags for use or replenish the back stock of bags found at the bottom of the bin.
  • Step 2: Bring all bags with you and weigh them at home or a place of convenience, then sort through them to remove any trash or non acceptable plastics
    • The scale, bags, and list of acceptables will be provided by KPWB and should be returned after you are no longer actively participating in this program
  • Step 3: Send your data to KPWB
    • Data will be collected in an open google sheets document
    • The data is in pounds (lbs)
  • Step 4: After the bags of plastic have been weighed, they can be deposited at a nearby Giant Food grocery store within Prince William County.
    • To deposit bags: Most bins inside the grocery store will be located by the store’s entrance near the checkout lanes. Please only deposit roughly half or a third of the amount within the clear 45-50 lb trash bag.
    • Depositing the bags will require multiple stops since the grocery stores prefer to take smaller quantities.
    • If feasible, keep the 45-50 lb trash bag for future pickups. If not, please come by the office to pick up more trash bags.
  • Step 5: Record the city in which the Giant Food is located on your timesheet and in the google sheets document where it states “Drop Off Locations”
  • Step 6: Repeat from Step 1 once a week or as scheduled.

KPWB Adopt-A-Bin Interest Form

    I/We agree to conform to all terms and requirements of the Adopt-a-BinProgram as established by Keep Prince William Beautiful, attached hereto, and incorporated herein by reference. All sign placements are final. The Applicant with whom this agreement is entered agrees that it shall at all times defend, indemnify and hold harmless Keep Prince William Beautiful, and its directors, officers, employees, and agents, from all responsibility, damage, or liability of any kind whatsoever, which may arise in any manner from Applicant's, or its officers', directors' employees', agents', permittees' or invitees', participation in the Adopt-a-Spot Program, or in traveling to or from a Spot which may have been adopted in accordance with the requirements of the Program. Keep Prince William Beautiful will terminate the agreement at any time the applicants do not comply with this agreement or at any time the Applicant's work effort is considered unsafe. Keep Prince William Beautiful reserves the right to revise or discontinue this Program at any time. Please note that Prince William County employees are not to clean up on paid time. By accepting an Adopt-a-Spot through Keep Prince William Beautiful, I/we accept the commitment to clean up our Adopt-a-Spot twice each calendar year, with a minimum of two cleanups annually for two years. Furthermore, we agree to submit reports promptly following each cleanup to the Keep Prince William Beautiful organization. Should I/we not be able to maintain our spot as indicated, I/we agree to contact Keep Prince William Beautiful as soon as possible to discuss spot options. Please type the name as proof of acknowledgment: