PORT TOWNSEND — The StyroCyclers, a new volunteer group, will have its first Styrofoam recycling event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
The event will be at Safeway, 442 W. Sims Way, Port Townsend.
“There will be a lot of signage; we’ll be in the corner of the parking lot,” said Polly Lyle, an organizer for the drop-off.
Safeway will have two tractor-trailers waiting, she added, to be filled with expanded polystyrene, aka Styrofoam. All colors except tan are welcome, but no packing peanuts will be accepted, Lyle said. Styrofoam with labels or tape on it is welcome. Bagging pieces in yard-waste bags or plastic bags is fine too, she said.
The trucks will return to Safeway’s Auburn fulfillment center, where a densifier machine compacts the Styrofoam into blocks. It’s then sold to manufacturers who would have otherwise used virgin plastic for products such as picture frames, computer casings and construction materials.
The Styro-Cyclers hope to have more recycling events after this debut, while their ultimate hope is to rid the planet of the material.
“In the meantime, we must keep as much as possible out of the waste stream,” said group founder Anita Edwards.
For information, email PTStyroCyclers@gmail.com.
