Mount Prospect Starts Foam Recycling Program

The Village of Mount Prospect, Illinois, received a $50,000 grant from the Foodservice Packaging Institute’s Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC) that enables residents to recycle materials, such as foam polystyrene cups, plates, bowls, clamshells, egg cartons and meat trays, as well as block packaging foam, at its local drop-off center.

The FRC grant assisted with funding the purchase and installation of a foam densifier at the Mount Prospect Public Works facility. Densifiers are used to compact foam products into foam blocks or ingots. Mount Prospect sells the foam ingots to local end markets to be manufactured into architectural moldings and picture frames.

Mount Prospect is a member of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC), an intergovernmental agency comprised of 23 communities. The drop-off center is open to all communities within SWANCC.

“We are continually reflecting on our programs to ensure the residents of Mount Prospect are provided with the most economical and ecologically sound options,” said Sean P. Dorsey, director at Mount Prospect Public Works Department. “The inclusion of foam recycling to existing recycling programs will be extremely beneficial to the Mount Prospect and SWANCC member communities.”

The Village and SWANCC will inform residents via communications including Mount Prospect and SWANCC websites, Recycling Coach app, social media, newsletters and flyers.

“Mount Prospect is spearheading this effort that provides residents of the Village and surrounding communities the ability to recycle foam polystyrene that otherwise would have gone to the landfill,” said Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute. “FPI and the Foam Recycling Coalition are excited to support communities like Mount Prospect that are shining examples of providing environmentally sound and resourceful options to its residents.”

FRC has opened the 2023 application period, now through April 25, 2023, for public and private entities seeking to start or improve foam polystyrene recovery in their recycling programs. Eligible entities must engage in operating a material recovery facility, manage residential curbside recycling programs, or manage a drop-off or convenience site recycling program.

The grant is made possible through contributions to FRC, which focuses exclusively on increased recycling of post-consumer foam polystyrene. Its members include Americas Styrenics; Chick-fil-A; CKF Inc.; Dart Container Corp.; Dyne-A-Pak; Genpak; INEOS Styrolution America LLC; Lifoam Industries, LLC; Pactiv Evergreen; and Republic Plastics.

Mount Prospect is the 29th grant recipient to receive this funding since 2015. Over 10 million additional residents in the U.S. and Canada can recycle foam polystyrene because of FRC grants. Visit www.RecycleFoam.org to learn more about foam recycling, read about previous recipients or apply for a grant.