Styrofoam recycling in Duluth

Emerickson Nov 24, 2012 5 Comments

I have a basement full of pieces of hard Styrofoam blocks in all shapes and sizes that I need to get rid of. I hate the stuff, but cannot bring myself to send it to the landfill, due to environmental concerns. I have six years’ worth of it and it is time to do something so I can reclaim the large area of my basement that is currently overrun by it. Does anyone know of anywhere local that I can bring this stuff where they can recycle or reuse it? I know shipping places take packing peanuts, but several have told me they do not take the larger pieces or blocks that come in the packaging of appliances. I thought I had heard something a few years ago about Lake Superior College having a recycling program for Styrofoam, but I have been unable to find any confirmation of this.

On a related note, I also have several very large pieces of cardboard (about 5’x3′) up for grabs. If anyone wants it let me know and you can pick it up in the Piedmont area.

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5 Comments

Carla

about 12 years ago 

The person you need to talk to is Deb Ortman. She is the guru of Duluth recycling.

ddo (at) mchsi (dot) com

KarenAnderson

about 12 years ago 

Greetings! Lake Superior College students in the Integrated Manufacturing Program have developed a piece of machinery that will shred dimensional/molded styrofoam into a size that can be used for applications similar to packing peanuts. I am unsure about whether or not they are currently accepting styrofoam from outside their organization, you'll have to call to check on that. Don't forget about posting to Freecycle, too. You can post the cardboard & dimensional/molded styrofoam there for free and someone may have a use  for it.  

If you have a question about recycling and disposal, don't hesitate to call WLSSD or check out wlssd.com. There is a search box on the home page where you can find out how to safely dispose of many materials.

Good luck! Karen Anderson, WLSSD

Emerickson

about 12 years ago 

Thank you to the person who provided me with the contact info for the person in charge of the LSC Styrofoam shredding program. Unfortunately they are not accepting Styrofoam at this time as "the program is on hold."

I have previously posted this stuff on Freecycle and got no responses, aside from those who responded and never showed up at the agreed upon time.

According to the WLSSD website: 
-Styrofoam (molded forms, not peanuts) - place in the trash.  Foam cannot be recycled with other plastics. 

Sorry. I will follow up with Deb and I will just keep the stuff until I find someone willing to take it and re-use it.

BadCat!

about 12 years ago 

You could check with some of the local gaming stores - I hear that some oddly-shaped styrofoam makes killer gaming terrain.

edub

about 12 years ago 

Are we talking about styrofoam from packing or actual blocks of styrofoam or EPS?  If blocks, depending upon the size, I might be able to take a few off your hands for carvings.

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