Video: Styro Recycle Takes Foam Products from Packaging to Plastic

Contrary to popular belief, Styrofoam® is recyclable. Renton's Styro Recycle LLC, headed by Marilyn Lauderdale, is making it possible for more people to recycle their foam products. Lauderdale wrote us an email recently, and we spoke to her about how the process works. (see the video)

During our visit, Lauderdale shared the story of a young man with special needs who works part time, through a group called Provail. Lauderdale said he works one hour, one day per week, sorting through packaging peanuts, which is one of the less dangerous jobs within the rather labor-intensive process. While he has a counselor on site to provide for whatever he might need, he is on track to being able to work independently.

Styro Recycle, located in a back lot west of Renton IKEA’s property, takes expanded polystyrene (EPS, Styrofoam), clean packaging peanuts, bubble wrap, shrink wrap and flattened cardboard. The materials must be clean, dry and have no labels or tape left on them.