Dear Recycler,
This week I have a question for you. What’s white and blocky, generally considered a pain in the *&% to deal with, and the latest material accepted at the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM)?
That’s right—white block foam (or the material formerly known as “Styrofoam”)! Two months ago I told you it was coming, and I didn’t lie.
Starting Monday, November 14th, in honor of America Recycles Day, the most frequently-requested (begged, demanded, pleaded) material has been added to our family of recyclables accepted at the CHaRM. #6 white block foam packaging joins its other hard-to-recycle siblings: electronics, plastic bags, textiles, athletic shoes, and books as we work to make the CHaRM a one-stop-drop for all your recycling challenges.
Our newest addition has an awkward name because “Styrofoam” is actually a trademark of Dow Chemical Company, and it refers to something entirely different: the blue foam insulation used around building foundations. That’s not what we’re taking. The material we can accept is the stuff used to package products like TVs, computers, stereos, and wine. Technically it’s called Expanded Polystyrene, or EPS, but we’re going with its nickname, #6 white block foam packaging. We will also be accepting rigid WHITE foam insulation, not to be confused with its blue Styrofoam cousin.
This new material is just in time for the holidays so this year, instead of trying to shove this unwelcome guest into the garbage can and off to the landfill, you can drop it off at the CHaRM where it will be turned into rigid foam insulation, CD cases, light switches and cover plates, and other household items made from polystyrene.
White block foam is costly to recycle, so to keep the program free for residents, we are looking for sponsors of the program, ideally “Partners for Responsible Recycling” who may be a source of the packaging. One such partner, CompUSA, has already stepped up to help!
Like all our recycling programs, your help in maintaining the program by giving us only what the guidelines specify will be much appreciated.
While we do not accept the foam peanuts or bubble wrap for recycling, they are both usually accepted for reuse at packaging stores. Call your local store or visit www.ecocycle.org/htrg for a list of locations.
Food-grade foam, like the kind used for coffee cups, to-go containers, or egg cartons, is not recyclable, and due to food contamination issues, it is not likely to be recyclable anytime soon. Since there are alternatives to these products, including reusable containers, I recommend avoiding the material altogether.
There is, of course, a dark side to white block foam packaging. Rather than just creating a recycling opportunity for it, we’d really like to see the petroleum-based product disappear altogether – in block, “peanut” and food-grade forms. From the toxic chemicals used in its production to its lack of local recycling options in most communities, white foam packaging gets two thumbs down.
You can help send the message that you’re not a fan of block white foam by visiting www.ecocycle.org and downloading pre-written letters you can send to white foam packaging distributors to let them know you’d like them to use an alternative to this societal outcast. You’ll also find tips on avoiding white foam packaging in your daily life. While you’re there, see our guidelines with photos that will help you decipher exactly what the &#*% #6 white block foam is.
