Holiday gift giving often results in Styrofoam and packing materials. If you’re not sure what to do with it, Kirkland has the answer: StyroFest.
Kirkland residents will be able to drop off plastic foam and packing materials at the city’s Public Works Maintenance Center located at 915 Eighth St. during designated weekends.
Clean white dry plastic foam will be accepted (including clean cups and food containers). Additionally, foam (all shapes and sizes), plastic film, bubble wrap, and grocery bags will be accepted. Packing peanuts will not be accepted. StyroFest weekend events will be held from Friday at 5 p.m. until Monday at 6 a.m.
• Friday, Nov. 22 to Monday, Nov. 25
• Thursday, Dec. 26 to Monday, Dec. 30
• Friday, Jan. 24, 2014 to Monday, Jan. 27, 2014
• Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 to Monday, March 3, 2014
An extended collection event will be held after the Christmas holiday.
According to King County Solid Waste, each year, residents and businesses in King County throw away 4,000 tons of expanded polystyrene (EPS) (by volume). The materials collected will be recycled by ECO Foam Recycling, located in Woodinville.
“It takes around 500 years for polystyrene to breakdown in the landfill,” said David Griffin, partner at ECO Foam Recycle. “We have a thermal processor that grinds, crushes and compresses the material into single ingots (or blocks) that weigh 50 lbs. Once we generate around 40,000 pounds, it’s sold to a manufacturer that makes a variety of plastic products.”
ECO Foam Recycle operates year-round and accepts clean foam and EPS blocks for free. Their phone number is (425) 286-2299.
For more information about the recycling event, contact Stephanie Gowing, Kirkland’s Recycling Programs coordinator at (425) 587-3814 or sgowing@kirklandwa.gov.
