Since 2015, more than 30 communities, facility operators, non-profits and solid waste authorities have received grants of up to $50,000 from Foodservice Packaging Institute’s Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC) to expand foam polystyrene recycling throughout the U.S. and Canada. FRC has opened the 2023 application period, now through April 25, 2023, for public and private entities seeking to start or improve foam polystyrene recovery in their recycling programs.
Eligible entities must engage in operating a material recovery facility, manage residential curbside recycling programs, or manage a drop-off or convenience site recycling program.
“To date, more than 10 million more residents can recycle foam polystyrene in the U.S. and Canada as a result of our FRC grants,” said Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute. “The communities and organizations we partner with ensure that foam polystyrene items, like cups, egg cartons, foodservice containers and packaging materials, are diverted from landfills and recycled into new products.”
Previous grant awardees have used FRC funding to purchase equipment, including collection bins and foam densifiers, that aid in the efficient collection and on-site material preparation prior to shipping. No cash match is required. However, additional costs by the grantee may be incurred for related items, such as site preparation, electrical infrastructure, freight, etc.
The grant program is made possible through contributions to FRC, which focuses exclusively on increased recycling of post-consumer foam polystyrene. Its members include Americas Styrenics; Chick-fil-A; CKF Inc.; Dart Container Corp.; Dyne-A-Pak; Genpak; INEOS Styrolution America LLC; Lifoam Industries, LLC; Pactiv Evergreen; and Republic Plastics.
Visit www.RecycleFoam.org/Grants to learn more about foam recycling, read about previous recipients or apply for a grant.