Grant for Picnic Tables

September 24, 2020

Briar Cliff University has been awarded four new picnic tables made from recycled plastic bags, courtesy of the Build with Bags grant program by the Iowa Grocery Industry Association.

“At Hy-Vee, our mission is making lives easier, healthier, and happier,” says Mike Haiar, Store Director at Hy-Vee store #1. “As we promote the well-being of our customers and our employees, we want to ensure our communities have the same sense of well-being. That is why we see sustainability as a critical part of our mission.”

The University has received several grants from the Build with Bags program to add new picnic tables throughout campus. This year, the addition of the new picnic tables is critical as the University expands outdoor learning spaces for their students in the Heffernan Mall.

“Heffernan Mall’s role will be more important now than ever before in creating study-friendly environments and outdoor physical distancing gathering spaces,” says Tina Stroud, Vice President of University Relations at Briar Cliff. “We are incredibly grateful to Hy-Vee and their customers for their commitment to recycling plastic which can be turned and used for tables.”

The plastic bag program increases the number of plastic bags that are recycled. One picnic table represents approximately 20,000 bags that won’t end up in the landfill. Plastic grocery bags donated to locations like Hy-Vee are made into picnic tables and benches to help beautify Iowa communities.