Two Ontario Municipalities Resume Foam Polystyrene Recycling Program

FALLS CHURCH, Va., May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Residents and businesses in the Ontario municipalities of Brockton and Hanover now have the opportunity to recycle polystyrene foam, thanks to a $9,700 grant from the Foam Recycling Coalition.

The municipalities began collecting post-consumer polystyrene foam in 2007, but the popular recycling program was suspended 10 years later due to changing markets for the material. The recycling services will resume with the help of a polystyrene densifier, which compacts collected materials into condensed polystyrene bricks. End markets then recycle the bricks into new products.

"The discontinuation of the agreement to transport materials in 2017 was sudden and unexpected. With this grant from the Foam Recycling Coalition, we found a solution that allows us to begin collecting polystyrene again and bring back this service to our residents," said Ron Cooper, director of public works for the Town of Hanover, Ontario.

Brockton and Hanover's waste management departments will operate the program through the use of community drop-off depots. Businesses and residents can bring foam cups, take-out containers, egg cartons and meat trays, as well as protective foam packaging often found around shipped electronics. The material will then be sent to a central location for densification and turned into new products as varied as crown molding, picture frames and receipt spools.

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association provided assistance in connecting the municipalities with the Foam Recycling Coalition's grant program and is helping with the official kick-off event at the Brockton Recycling Centre on Friday, May 31.

The municipalities anticipate they will receive material from approximately 17,000 residents. In time they plan to offer access to foam collection to the neighboring communities, too, which will bring access to a total exceeding 63,000 residents.

Lynn Dyer, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, which houses the coalition said, "We congratulate both municipalities for their never-give-up focus to once again find a solution for foam recycling. Everyone benefits when these valuable materials are recycled in the communities they serve, instead of going to landfills."

The grant is made possible through contributions to the FRC, which focuses exclusively on increased recycling of post-consumer foam polystyrene. Its members include Americas Styrenics; Cascades Canada ULC; CKF Inc.; Chick-fil-A; Dart Container Corp.; Dyne-A-Pak; Genpak; Hawaii Foam Products; INEOS Styrolution America LLC; NOVA Chemicals Corp.; Pactiv Foodservice/Food Packaging; Republic Plastics; and TOTAL Petrochemicals & Refining USA.

Brockton/Hanover is the 11th grant recipient to receive FRC funding since 2015. Over 3 million additional residents in the U.S. and Canada can recycle foam as a result of FRC grants. Visit http://www.RecycleFoam.org to learn about foam recycling, read about previous recipients, or apply for a grant.

ABOUT FPI: Founded in 1933, the Foodservice Packaging Institute is the trade association for the foodservice packaging industry in North America. FPI promotes the value and benefits of foodservice packaging and serves as the industry's leading authority to educate and influence stakeholders. Members include raw material and machinery suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and purchasers of foodservice packaging. For more information or to follow us on social media, visit http://www.FPI.org.

ABOUT FRC: The Foam Recycling Coalition was formed under the Foodservice Packaging Institute in 2014 to support increased recycling of foodservice packaging made from foam polystyrene. FRC shares general information on foam recycling, provides technical resources and offers funding assistance to programs ready to start or strengthen post-consumer foam recycling. Members include stakeholders from throughout the foodservice packaging value chain. Learn more at http://www.RecycleFoam.org.

SOURCE Foodservice Packaging Institute