Photographer: Justin Rogers of West Des Moines, IA

Build with Bags Grant

The primary goal of Build with Bags is to tackle an environmental concern that has been receiving a great deal of attention – the use of plastic shopping bags. Developed in partnership with the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, the Build with Bags program has four primary goals:

• Reduce the consumption of plastic bags,
• Encourage the use of reusable bags,
• Increase the number of plastic bags recycled, and
• Establish a grant program to aid parks and schools in purchasing products made of recycled plastic bags

​The Build with Bags program is a cooperative effort of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Keep Iowa Beautiful, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Metro Waste Authority and Plastic Recycling of Iowa Falls. 

Grant Eligibility

The grant program is available to any governmental entity, organization (i.e. service clubs, non-profit organizations) within Iowa that purchase the items for a park or school. The items must be made of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic (the base material for making plastic shopping bags). Those receiving grant awards must acquire the items and then show proof of purchase and payment before receiving reimbursement of the award.

Grant Limits

A maximum grant of $2,000 is available. Each entity applying for a grant is limited to one application or project per year.

Grant Deadlines & Application Guidelines

Visit the Iowa Grocery Industry Association to learn more about the Build with Bag Grant Program, application deadlines, and current application guidelines.