PARKERSBURG - Little League fields in Wood, Wirt and Pleasants counties will sport recycling cans with helmets on top that will translate into funds to purchase supplies for the teams.
Due to a $36,000 contribution from DuPont Washington Works 60 especially decorated recycling containers will be provided to the fields. The containers, which can be seen at a number of professional stadiums, including the New York Mets, Oakland A's and Cincinnati Bengals, are designed by FAN CANS of North Carolina. Company owners were in town Thursday for a dedication ceremony at Godbey Fields for one of the first cans.
The cans distributed at the sports fields here are West Virginia University blue and gold with a Little League helmet molded to the top.
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Photo by?Pamela Brust
On Thursday at Godbey Fields the first can was placed. Taking part were, from left, John Reed, director of the Wood County Solid Waste Authority; Bill Boyle, Safety, Health and Environmental manager at DuPont Washington Works; Ramsey Crosby, FAN CANS; Dr. Saurabh Naik, group president and CEO with Intercontinental Export Import Inc., representing the Polymer Alliance, and Steve Wolford with FAN CANS.
"Each league can collect and store the bottles placed in the containers then redeem them for cash to supply items for their fields, such as safety equipment, bases, bats, balls," said John Reed, director of the Wood County Solid Waste Authority. The SWA is administering the program, including overseeing installation of the containers in concrete bases.
Steve Wolford with FAN CANS said similar cans are all over the country.
"Where we had professional and amateur sports facilities we are also now moving into parks and recreation areas in counties and cities. So this is the first wave of product going out into the cities and counties," Wolford said.
Wolford said the cans in some areas are used to collect old shoes. The rubber in the shoes is ground up and recycled to be used in the artificial turf.
In addition, DuPont supplied storage buildings to each field to store the bottles in until they can be taken for redemption
"In working with all the recycling projects locally, this is something for the children in the area, and all the funds raised from recycling will be used for the Little League fields in Wood, Wirt and Pleasants counties," said Bill Boyle, Safety, Health and Environmental manager at DuPont Washington Works.
The Polymer Alliance has agreed to purchase the bottles placed in the recycling cans from the leagues at the going rate.
"Dr. Naik, president of Polymer Alliance, made an exception from the standard company purchasing program of only purchasing large palletized loads. They generally do not pay for small loads like this, but he is making this exception to benefit the teams efforts. We are truly grateful to Polymer Alliance for the participation in this program," Reed said.
