Diercks finishes first at the Iowa Grocery Industry Association’s 38th annual grocery bagging competition.
 
DES MOINES, Iowa – In a contest to find the best grocery bagger in the state, Brady Diercks, who works at the Fareway store in Marion, Iowa, finished first. The Iowa Best Bagger contest was held Friday, August 8, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, where Diercks claimed the Iowa Best Bagger title, a trophy, a $500 cash prize and a trip for two to Las Vegas to compete in the National Best Bagger Competition that will be held in February of next year.

New park benches, picnic tables and trash cans will help to beautify parks and schools throughout Iowa this summer, courtesy of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association’s Build with Bags program.
 
Six Iowa communities will be receiving grants of up to $2,000 to purchase items made from recycled plastic bags. Items include park benches made by Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls. One park bench represents approximately 10,600 bags that won’t end up in the landfill.
 
“We are excited to announce the winners of this year’s Build with Bags grants,” says Michelle Hurd, president of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association. “Now in its 16th year, the program continues to encourage individuals to recycle their plastic bags so those bags can be turned into products that beautify our communities. We are proud to reward this year’s grant winners for their recycling efforts.”
 
A total of 13 applications were submitted from which six winners were selected by a committee of representatives in support of the Build with Bags program. Each committee member individually scored the applications. The scores were then combined for an overall point total. This year, the top six applicants with the most points received grants totaling $11,360.
 
Applications were evaluated based on set criteria that included a statement of need for the grant and the community’s own plastic bag recycling efforts. Grant applicants were also asked to verify the recycled plastic content in the products they were looking to purchase and to obtain an endorsement letter from a local grocer who is supportive of the community’s project and recycling plans.