The recycling drop-off for Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam was from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at Mayors’ Riverfront Park, 251 Mills St.
Volunteers will be set up in the parking lot of the park to help as community members are invited to drop off any amount of the EPS foam.
This type of foam is marked with a 6, but it is sometimes not labeled.
The event accepted the foam if it is unlabeled, but it needed to be the kind that breaks, not bends, Kalamazoo Environmental Concerns Committee member Sharon Dever said.
The EPS recycling drop-off events were started by volunteers through a pilot program. Organizers want to provide a place for the foam to go besides a landfill, where it takes up a lot of space, Dever said.
EPS foam is not accepted in the city’s single stream recycling.
There has been demand to continue the collection events beyond the pilot program, Dever said. Volunteers help run the collections, which are planned to continue in 2023, the city said.
The EPS foam event will accept:
- Foam labeled with a 6 symbol only
- Food containers must be rinsed, wiped, or cleaned
- Material should break if you bend it
Not accepted:
- Styrofoam or sheeted insulation
- Straws or lids
- Packing peanuts
The Dec. 31 event did not accept electronics for recycling. Electronics recycling has been included at past events and will be included at other recycling drop-offs in the future, Dever said.
