Rock Springs, Wyoming, recycling center expands to accept polystyrene

The Ray Lovato Recycling Center, a nonprofit environmental organization in Rock Springs, Wyoming, has received a $29,000 grant from the Foodservice Packaging Institute’s Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC) to add a foam densifier to its current recycling center that recovers recyclable materials from residents and businesses within the area.

The center is located within the economic center of southwest Wyoming and serves about 13,000 households and diverted nearly 1.72 million pounds of materials from the landfill in 2020. Its goal is not only to maximize diversion of materials from its local landfill through unique recycling programs, but it also has made a mission to provide second-chance employment to community individuals with developmental disabilities, drug and alcohol addiction and veterans with PTSD.

At its facility of over 6,000 square feet, materials accepted include corrugated cardboard, office paper, paperboard, newspaper, magazines, books, aluminum, tin and plastics.

The FRC funding will allow the center to purchase and install a foam densifier unit to begin processing polystyrene (PS) products that will be collected at its drop-off center from local businesses and residents. The densifier will allow the organization to collect many types of PS products, including foam foodservice packaging and protective packaging.

“Our area is home to immense mineral resources employing a large portion of our private workforce,” says Devon Brubaker, board president of the Ray Lovato Recycling Center. Brubaker adds with few large retailers in the area, the center has seen a significant amount of e-commerce packaging. The packaging, along with food-grade foam products, will provide the center a large diversion opportunity with the help of this new densifier.

The grant is made possible through contributions to FRC, which focuses exclusively on increased recycling of postconsumer PS. The FRC’s members include America Styrenics, Cascades Canada ULC, CKF Inc., Chick-fil-A, Dart Container Corp., Pactive Foodservice/Food Packaging, Republic Plastics and TOTAL Petrochemicals & Refining USA.

The Ray Lovato Recycling Center is the 21^st grant recipient to receive FRC funding since 2015. More than 4 million additional residents in the United States and Canada can recycle PS as a result of FRC grants.

“The Ray Lovato Recycling Center is providing the necessary services to recycle clean and empty foam packaging that is generated by local businesses and residents,” says Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, which oversees FRC. “The center demonstrates how an organization can set an example with its own mission and continue to expand its operations after having success and seeing an opportunity to increase diversion from the landfill.”