HURON — You know you have them. Everyone does.

Those plastic bags of…plastic bags, in which you bring home your purchases from the store. You tuck them away, telling yourself that the next time you go to the store where you can drop them, off you will remember to do it.

But what if there were a goal for those multiplying bags of bags? Something that would keep them out of a landfill somewhere and, more importantly, help your community and clear some space in your garage.

Well, the Huron Area Women Business Leaders (HAWBL) group has a solution. A win-win-win solution for everyone.

HAWBL is partnering with TREX – the company that makes the permanent decking and furniture – in its “Recycle Beyond the Bag” program.

In a nutshell, in return for 1,000 pounds of clean, dry plastic bags, TREX will provide a bench, made of recycled plastic, to the group or individual collecting the bags.

“I came to know about this from my aunt in Minnesota,” said Jessica Freng, chair of the HAWBL group. “I came back and presented it to our group and we decided to move forward.”

The plastics that TREX accepts – and there is a long list of acceptable items – are the very plastic items that are not accepted as part of the City of Huron’s recycling program, so directing this wast toward something other than the garbage - and eventually a landfill - is a good thing.

“We talked about supporting the city’s sustainability and also helping keep Huron clean and tidy,” Freng added.

Plastic bags of all types are accepted, as are the plastic wrap, re-closable bags, bread bags and more. On a commercial basis, the plastic that shrink wraps pallets of product is accepted, as are the various types and sizes of bubble wrap.

In nearly every case, these are all items that are being put in the garbage now.

For a full listing of what is okay to collect, go to trex.com/recycling.

But the clock is ticking.

“We have a year to collect the 1,000 pounds of plastics,” said group member Julie Hoffmann. “And we started the project in May, so we have until May next year. TREX is the leading recycler of these types of plastics, so we really want this to work.”

“A regular plastic shopping bag, jammed full of as much as you can cram in there is about a pound,” Freng said, “so that may help folks understand better how much plastic it is that we are seeking to collect.”

When the goal is met, the group will choose a color for the bench, with the intention of donating it to the Huron Parks and Recreation Department, for installation along the nature walk pathway in Gibbs Park on the south side of Huron.

Drop off sites in Huron include East River Nursery, the Huron Public Library, the Huron Chamber and Visitors Bureau and the Parks and Rec office in the Huron Community Campus Center.

“People can also reach out to any of us in HAWBL in person or through our Facebook page and we can make arrangements to pick up their plastic,” Freng said.

Other communities can also get involved by getting in touch with HAWBL and perhaps becoming a collection site.

The Huron Area Women Business Leaders group meets at 7:30 Wednesday mornings at Gigi’s in downtown Huron. Any area women involved in business is welcome. The group can be reached via email at hawbl2022@gmail.com.