Michigan county opens foam polystyrene drop-off

The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) has opened a polystyrene (PS) drop-off, providing West Michigan residents a way to recycle foam PS, commonly called Styrofoam, a notoriously stubborn form of plastic waste.

At the North Kent Transfer Station, a PS densifier compacts the material and bales it so it can be taken to a processor and reused. Because foam plastic mostly is air and difficult to recycle, the DPW says, the material was previously not accepted, ending up in a landfill. 

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“Foam polystyrene has been a problem material for recycling centers for a long time because it takes up so much space due to its air contents, making it inefficient to process,” says Nick VanderVinne, deputy director of the DPW. “Now we are able to compress and process it so it can be reused, which aligns with our goal of reducing landfill waste in Kent County.” 

The densifier is available for Kent County residents to drop off foam PS at the North Kent Transfer Station, located at 2908 Ten Mile Road in Rockford. Only clean, white PS is accepted, according to the DPW, including items like foam cups, coolers, packaging and takeout food containers. Packing peanuts, colored foams, meat trays and items with food residue are not accepted. 

Residents can visit the North Kent Transfer Station every day except Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Foam PS is accepted only at this location, and the DPW hopes to expand this capability in the future. 

Having a densifier in Kent County was made possible with $50,000 in grant funding through the Foam Recycling Coalition, which works to increase the recycling of packaging made from foam PS. The DPW funded the installation of the machine. 

The Kent County Department of Public Works provides municipal solid waste disposal services to ensure the effective removal, storage and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste through various facilities and programs, including Waste-to-Energy, the Recycling and Education Center, North Kent Transfer Station and South Kent Landfill.