When the Food Bank of Delaware’s new facility in Milford opened in January 2024, customers were free to explore it at their own pace. If they needed a place to rest, new park benches made from recycled plastic pipe were there to make their experience more enjoyable.
The pipe was donated by Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and made into benches by Eco Plastic Products of Delaware, a recently established nonprofit organization that focuses on recycling plastic and repurposing it for benches and tables.
Chesapeake Utilities learned of Eco Plastic Products through its community engagement efforts. After several meetings to understand the nonprofit’s process and limitations, the utility discovered that its high-density polyethylene material worked well for this purpose, extending the life of the pipe by giving it an entirely different use.
Utility operation centers now have designated bins for “scrap” pipe. Once these bins are full, the pipe is transported to Eco Plastic Products to begin its next chapter.
The bench project is a continuation of the utility’s long relationship with the Food Bank of Delaware, which includes monthly employee volunteer efforts at both the Newark and Milford locations. The utility further supports the food bank through its Stuff the Bus donation events and its annual Caring is Always in Season giving campaign. It also made a financial donation to help fund the food bank’s new facility in Milford.
“Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, this initiative to craft park benches goes beyond recycling—it’s a meaningful reinvestment in the communities we serve,” Shane Breakie, vice president, sustainability and organic growth at Chesapeake Utilities, told American Gas. “The plastic pipe recycling effort reduces landfill content and demonstrates that 100% of that material can be repurposed. It is a visible example of the sustainability of our business.”
While the company’s plastic pipe recycling efforts are initially focused on the Eco Plastic Products partnership in Delaware, Breakie says the company is researching additional projects as it builds and expands partnerships in the communities where it operates. —Eric Johnson