Palmetto Bay residents are more than halfway to earning a free park bench made entirely from recycled plastic, but they still need to collect 459 more pounds before January 2027.

The village's Recycling Challenge Program has gathered 541 pounds of plastic film so far, according to the village's website. The goal is 1,000 pounds. If residents hit that mark, NexTrex, an organization that repurposes recycled plastic into benches, deck materials and outdoor furniture, will deliver a new bench to be placed in a village park.

This isn't the village's first time making benches from recycled plastic. Palmetto Bay met the challenge earlier in 2026 and installed a NexTrex bench in the Butterfly Garden at Village Hall.

What to bring

The village accepts plastic film products including produce bags, store bags, ice bags, resealable bags such as Ziploc, cereal box liners, case overwrap, bread bags, newspaper sleeves, dry cleaning bags, bubble wrap and plastic e-commerce mailers.

Items not accepted include frozen food bags, candy bar wrappers, chip bags, net or mesh produce bags, pet food bags, degradable or compostable bags and film packaging, pre-washed salad mix bags, hot dog or meat wrap packaging, six-pack rings, personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks, pool covers, lamination film, silage and hay bags, vinyl shower curtains or tablecloths, bedding or linen packaging, and shiny, crinkly films like floral wrap.

Where and when

Drop-offs are accepted at Village Hall, 9705 E. Hibiscus St., Palmetto Bay, FL 33157. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except legal holidays.

The village has promoted the program on social media, including its official X account, and a village manager report earlier this year noted continued outreach through posts and a sustainability video on the plastic bench program.

With roughly six months left before the January 2027 deadline, the village needs residents to bring in about 77 pounds a month to reach the goal. The village posts upcoming programs and events at palmettobay-fl.gov/calendar.