PAW PAW – Paw Paw Girl Scout Troop 5158 is busy collecting plastic caps and lids that will be used to melt down into a friendship bench for the school playground.

For the project, the troop already has collected and sorted close to 150 pounds of caps. In order to make a bench, the girls will need a total of 500 pounds and are asking the community to help save caps.

Acceptable caps include medicine bottle caps, milk jug caps, detergent caps, hair spray caps, toothpaste tube caps, deodorant caps, drink bottle caps, flip-top caps (ketchup, mustard), spout caps (mustard), spray paint caps, ointment tube caps, and caps with recycle numbers 2, 4, or 5. Lids include cottage cheese container lids, mayonnaise jar lids, yogurt lids, peanut butter jar lids, ice cream bucket lids under 8 inches, cool whip container lids, coffee can lids, cream cheese lids, and butter container lids. Please make sure lids are clean and dry. Also please check the lids for cardboard circles. They are not allowed.

Other items not allowed include anything metal, drink bottles, plastic Ziplock-type bags, trigger sprayers, fast food drink lids, food containers, soap or lotion pumps, grocery bags, caps with recycle numbers 1, 3, 6, or 7, and plastic that is not a cap or lid or plastic pieces and parts.

Caps can be dropped off at Flanagan State Bank, Mortgage Division in Paw Paw, 333 Chicago Road from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, contact Amber Edwards at (630) 308-9661.