Florida county adds polystyrene foam recycling program

Thanks to a new grant, more materials in St. Lucie County, Florida, will be going back into the recycling stream. The Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC), based in Falls Church, Virginia, awarded a $50,000 grant to that community to recycle polystyrene (PS) foam.  

According to a news release from the FRC, St. Lucie County has seen a continuous increase in the tonnage being processed at the St. Lucie material recovery facility (MRF) since it started its single-stream recycling program in 2014. The FRC reports that St. Lucie County has experienced continued engagement with residents on their recycling efforts since 2014 as well.

On average, the St. Lucie MRF processes 200 to 300 tons of recyclables per day and has a contamination rate that ranges from 15 to 18 percent.  

In the last few years, the county has received numerous questions and interest in foam recycling. Unable to provide curbside service for this material, the county hopes the drop-off recycling site will meet residents' requests.

The county’s drop-off recycling facility currently accepts corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, Nos. 3-7 plastics, steel and aluminum. Now, a new foam densifier is installed and the facility can accept clean foam packaging from televisions, appliances, computers and furniture, as well as clean food service packaging, such as egg cartons, coffee cups, light-colored meat trays and foam coolers.

The FRC says the county serves about 310,000 residents and nearly 123,000 households.

“The new grant funding allows us to expand our current collection program and help us satisfy our residents’ requests for increasing recycling efforts within our county,” Rebecca Olson, assistant director for St. Lucie County Solid Waste and Recycling, says. “With the growing concern from residents regarding how to recycle foam polystyrene, we know the participation in the program will be high, so with the help of this grant to expand our capabilities, we know this program will be a success.”  

“St. Lucie County has residents who are passionate about recycling and the county has an amazing opportunity to address this need and provide new services for foam recycling to a population that truly is driven to keep these valuable materials from being landfilled,” says Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, which houses the FRC.

The grant is made possible through contributions to the FRC, which focuses exclusively on increased recycling of postconsumer PS foam.

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St. Lucie County is the 16th grant recipient to receive FRC funding since 2015. More than 4 million additional residents in the U.S. and Canada can recycle foam as a result of FRC grants.