By MICHAEL NUNES
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — In honor of Earth Day on April 22, the East Brunswick Stop & Shop donated four benches to the township that were made out of recycled plastic bags.
“Stop & Shop has many promises. One of our promises is to not only be a better place to shop, but also to be a better neighbor,” Stop & Shop District Manager Carlos Ramos said, adding that the store wanted to focus on the mantra of “reduce, reuse, recycle” at the event that was held outside the township’s municipal complex on April 20.
Ramos also spoke about the dangers that plastic bags pose to the environment.
“Plastic bags can take many years to degrade and release toxic chemicals into landfills and the soil. … When improperly disposed, plastic bags could become harmful to the environment. With over a billion bags used every day … we need to find a better way to use these plastic bags,” he said, adding that plastic bags can be repurposed into plastic lumber that can be used to build fences, decks and even benches.
The event was attended by the mayor, council members and third graders from St. Bartholomew School.
“Each bench had been built utilizing some 12,000 plastic bags that otherwise would have been discarded,” East Brunswick Mayor Kevin McEvoy said. The benches were donated to the township’s municipal complex on Civic Center Drive.
“The first Earth Day was in 1970, and I remember it well because I was in high school at the time. Since then East Brunswick has had many activities on Earth Day, and today’s gathering is all about a clean East Brunswick and our special relationship with Stop & Shop,” McEvoy said, adding that the store plays a “vital” role in the well-being of the town’s residents.
According to Ann Wierzbicki, principal of St. Bartholomew School, protecting the environment falls in line with the school’s Catholic teachings.
“In the words of Pope Francis, ‘The earth is an environment to be safeguarded, a garden to be cultivated.’ As stewards of creation we ‘must conserve the divine harmony that exists between creatures and creation with the logic of respect and care,’” she said.
Students of St. Bartholomew School who attended the event echoed the same message as their principal.
“I think [Earth Day] is important because if the earth is not taken care of, then when we have children the earth will be bad for them,” said Daniel, a third grader.
“I think it’s important because the world would be cleaner if everyone would clean up,” Alexandra said.
“It’s important for the earth to be healthy because we need food from the earth,” Emma said.
“It’s incredible that they used 12,000 plastic bags to make a bench,” Lukas said.
Contact Michael Nunes at [email protected].