Bending the Arc

In recognition of Plastic Free July it felt like the perfect time to provide an update on the soft plastic recycling challenge happening here in Fond du Lac.

Sisters, Associates, and staff at the CSA Motherhouse have joined the “NexTrex Recycling Challenge”. The goal of the challenge is to remove as many soft plastics from the waste stream as possible. To expand the reach of this effort, we have created partnerships with Pilgrim United Church of Christ (UCC), Badger Soft Water (salt bags), and Fond du Lac Food Pantry (pallet wrapping).

Together, the goal is to collect at least 500 pounds of soft plastics every three months. When considering the weight of standard plastic grocery bags, cereal box liners, bread bags, bubble wrap, and other similar soft plastics, 500 pounds seems like a lofty goal, yet we’ve been averaging a collection and drop-off of 200 pounds every month. Our total weight for quarter two, April-June 2026, was 758 pounds! Imagine how much plastic waste we (and other participants like us) are keeping out of the landfills?! The soft plastics are recycled into Trex decking and outdoor furniture which, when purchased, close the recycling loop.

The industrial scale of plastic use at Badger Soft Water and the food pantry highlight how quickly soft plastic waste can add up, but households can still have a huge impact. Ultimately, our goal is for everyone to avoid purchasing single-use plastics whenever we can, while also knowing it’s nearly impossible to eliminate plastic entirely. We can all make small steps though, such as using reusable grocery bags, buying juice and milk in cardboard or glass instead of plastic, not buying plastic water or soda bottles, using bars of soap and shampoo and laundry detergent strips instead of bottles, et cetera.” Visit https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/ for more helpful tips and resources.

A few sisters “champion” the recycling effort and host monthly “Sort and Sip” events here at the Motherhouse where they go through the plastics, make sure they are clean and acceptable, cut away stickers and tape, weigh the collection, and simply enjoy each other’s company as they work and sip on their favorite choice beverage. A photograph of the collection is taken and uploaded to the NexTrex website when it is dropped off at any one of four participating grocery stores in the city.

A list of acceptable and non-acceptable plastics can be found at https://nextrex.com/view/educate. There are tall, white collection bins at the Motherhouse in the staff lounge and in storeroom B in Founders Hall. All are welcome to bring their plastics in to be counted. Our efforts support CSA’s ongoing Laudato Si’ goal of reducing, if not eliminating, single-use plastics.