Southside Playground Built with Recycled Packaging Collected Through the Kroger® Our Brands Free Recycling Program—3 Million Pieces and Counting
LANSING, MI — On June 27, 2025, The Kroger Co. of Michigan hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Ingham Park to unveil a recycled playground donated to the City of Lansing. Made in part from flexible plastic packaging collected and recycled through the Kroger® Our Brands Free Recycling Program—a national initiative in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle®—the playground is a celebration of sustainability, community, and creating a fun, engaging space for local children to enjoy.
The donation marks a major milestone in the program’s impact. Since launching in 2020, the Kroger Our Brands Free Recycling Program has collected and recycled more than 2.8 million pieces of flexible plastic packaging, including items like snack wrappers, frozen food bags, and shredded cheese packaging. Once received, the collected materials are recycled into pellets that can be used to make new products, including outdoor furniture and playground equipment.
“This playground isn’t just a place for kids to play—it’s a symbol of what’s possible when individuals, families, and companies work together to create a more sustainable future,” said Cam Barrett, Corporate Affairs Manager for the Kroger Co of Michigan. . “Free and open to the public, it will serve as a lasting community space and a visible reminder of the positive environmental change that happens when people take action together. We’re proud to give back to the City of Lansing in a way that brings sustainability and community impact to life.”
In celebration of the new structure, the City of Lansing Parks & Recreation Department hosted more than 50 kids at Ingham Park as part of their summer programming. The Kroger Co. of Michigan and Empire made the day even more memorable by grilling and serving lunch for all the kids and volunteers—and topping it off with a $3,000 donation to support the department’s summer youth programming.
Flexible plastic packaging—like the kind used for shredded cheese and frozen vegetables—is not typically accepted through curbside recycling services. Through the Kroger Our Brands Free Recycling Program, individuals can sign up for free at terracycle.com/kroger, download a prepaid shipping label, and mail in eligible packaging for recycling. Participants can also earn TerraCycle® Recycling Rewards points, which can be redeemed as donations to schools, charities, or nonprofit organizations.
To learn more about how TerraCycle is working to eliminate the idea of waste and explore additional free recycling programs, visit terracycle.com.
