Members of the New Ulm Lion’s Club meeting with Park and Recreation Director Joey Schugel for the placement of a new park bench the Lion’s acquired through a recycling program. New Ulm Lion’s turned in a thousand pounds of plastic in exchange for the bench. L to R: Dale Gulth, Bob Schirlinger, Bonnie Schirlinger, Joyce Walsh, Diann Warta, Park and Rec Director Joey Schugel, Jedd Edle, Jack Minch, Emily Edel, Jan DeLeo and Sid DeLeo.

NEW ULM – German Park has a brand new bench thanks to the recycling efforts of the New Ulm Lions Club.

Thursday, members of the Lions Club met with New Ulm Park and Rec Director Joey Schugel in German Park to place the new bench, that was made possible through the Trex company’s NexTrex recycling program.

Lions Club member Jedd Edel said through the program and organization will gift a new bench made from recycled materials if an organization donates a thousand pounds of plastic.

Edel said the majority of the plastic gathered for the program came from collecting water soften bags from EcoWater Systems in New Ulm with some additional donations coming from fellow Lion’s Club members.

Once the thousand pounds of plastic is donated, Trex ships the prefabricated material for the bench.

Edel said he and his wife Emily were able to assemble it.

“We’re always willing to work with a donor looking to improve the parks,” Schugel said after helping place the bench near the German Park playground. “The Lion’s have been very generous to our park system; especially in making improvements for kids.”

Edel said this the second year in-a-row the Lion’s have secured a new bench for the city using the recycling program. The Trex Company limits the number of donated benches to one a year per organization. Edel said there could be other benches donated in future years by the Lion’s.

He encouraged any other organization interested in donating a bench to contact the Trex Company to learn more about the recycling program.