energy efficiency, green buildings, slow foods, hybrid cars and alternate fuels.

"A society built on green design, sustainable energy and closed loop systems, a civilization afloat on a cloud of efficient, non-toxic, recyclable technology." ~~Alex Nikolai Steffan

Tuesday, January 20

RECYCLE STYROFOAM

does anyone still have one of these players?


Styrofoam (trademark), it's not that I don't appreciate you and the fact that you have gotten computers, toys and other electronic parts to my house in one piece and in working order. It's just that, you have to go. But where? Not into our ever-growing landfill (where it is estimated that it takes up 25 - 30% of space), not into my garage to gather dust and take up space. But neither can you join your brothers, the washed and clean polystyrene food trays in the big green bin outside my local supermarket.

UPS stores will accept those little peanuts, but only very limited quantities of those rigid molded hunks. Leon County has launched a program for businesses to recycle EPS (expanded polystyrene or Styrofoam TM). The Electronic Recycling Building at the Solid Waste Management Facility on Apalachee Parkway will accept clean EPS that is dropped off there. This includes (white) computer, furniture and appliance packaging, unused hot/cold cups, packaging peanuts and all clean polystyrene labeled #6. They do not accept anything that previously contained food. For more information about the County's program, contact Cyndy Brantley: brantleyc@leoncountyfl.gov

But, unless one has a large quantity of EPS, it's not really cost efficient to drive out to the landfill (Solid Waste Facility). It can be shipped at our own expense to a facility that accepts EPS (see Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers for more info.).

In the meantime, we can join together as a neighborhood to recycle EPS, especially after the holidays, since we're purchasing less, we'll have less waste of which to dispose. If you buy a product packed in EPS at a local store, you can unbox it there and ask them to include the pieces in their next drop-off to be recycled. Do we know that they will do this?

Any other suggestions?

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