Each month, polystyrene recycling continues to grow in cities around the United States. This month is no exception, as Yonkers, NY became the latest city to launch a polystyrene drop off recycling program.
“Improving the environment is a job that’s never done. That’s why expanding our recycling program to include polystyrene foam is so important to us. These products – things we see and use every day in the form of egg cartons and take-out containers– can easily be recycled into crown moldings, picture frames, scotch tape dispensers, and a host of other items. It’s just a logical, forward-thinking move to recycle foam in our city,” said Mayor Mike Spano.
Not only will egg cartons and take-out containers be accepted, but also foam packaging and other every-day products with the #6 label on the bottom. This polystyrene is collected by the city and is then picked up by the Dart Container Corporation and shipped to their recycling facility in Leola, Pennsylvania.
Dart’s recycling facility takes the foam that is shipped to them from the city and densifies it into blocks for resale. Each block is about 47 pounds of recycled foam #6 and is used as feedstock for their products made from recycled foam. Nearly 140 companies around the United States and Canada utilize recycled polystyrene to produce small common products like picture frames and surfboards up to larger and more exotic products like surfboards and construction materials.
The program was launched this past weekend, as a celebration of America Recycles Day. If you are a resident and want to recycle the foam, you can drop it off to the city's recycling center at 735 Saw Mill River Road. If your community is interested in launching a foam recycling program, learn more about how Home For Foam can help.