Beneficial Foods in Columbus accepting #5 plastics

Have you re-purposed enough yogurt, sour cream and margarine tubs to exceed the size of your Tupperware set yet? If you are ready for another way to keep the #5 plastics out of the landfill and also out of your cupboard, then this is the announcement you’ve been waiting for.

Beneficial Foods now accepts #5 plastic containers, lids marked #5 and take-out containers marked #5. All plastics must be cleaned before dropping them off inside the Beneficial Foods market on Adawehi Lane. This new recycling program will begin just in time to commemorate Earth Day, which is celebrated this month.

Beneficial Foods will mail the #5 plastics to Preserve as a part of the Preserve Gimme Five Program. The wide-mouth cups, such as yogurt and margarine containers and take-out containers will be transformed into Preserve toothbrushes, razor handles, cutting boards and other products for the home.

This service will complement Polk County’s recycling efforts, because #5 plastics are not accepted by the Materials Recycling Facility that serves Polk County, and therefore, are not generally accepted by the county’s transfer station.

Preserve, a U.S. manufacturer of eco-friendly products, co-sponsors this program with Stonyfield Farm, Brita Water Filters, Seventh Generation and Tom’s of Maine.

For more information, contact Beneficial Foods, 828-894-0737. Beneficial Foods is located off Fox Mountain Road at 98 Adawehi Lane in Columbus.