Posted: November 6, 2025
Written by: John Kraus, Natural Resource Technician
Build With Bags Grant Funds New Tables at Lake Meyer’s East Picnic Shelter
Winneshiek County Conservation has been awarded $2,000 through the Build with Bags grant program to help fund the purchase of eight new picnic tables that have been placed at the East Picnic Shelter overlooking Lake Meyer. These tables will provide sturdy, durable seating at this scenic picnic area, and this project will free up existing tables for use at other parks.
The tables are made from recycled plastic bags by Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls, Inc. Each table represents approximately 10,600 plastic bags that won’t end up in the landfill and have been put to use in a durable, recycled product!
Now in its 16th year, the Build with Bags grant program is a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. In addition to providing funding for the purchase of furniture and equipment made from recycled plastic for parks and schools, the Build with Bags program also strives to reduce the consumption of plastic bags, encourage the use of reusable bags, and increase the amount of plastic bags recycled.
The Decorah Hy-Vee store played an important role in making this grant possible, as Store Manager Ariana Cervantes provided a letter of support on behalf of Winneshiek County that led to it being selected to receive a grant. The Decorah Hy-Vee store encourages its customers to reduce plastic waste by promoting the use of re-usable bags in our community’s store.
For more information on Build with Bags or its grant program opportunities, please visit www.iowagrocers.com.