Kent County, Michigan residents now have a way to recycle a notoriously stubborn form of plastic waste: Foam polystyrene, commonly called Styrofoam.
New at the North Kent Transfer Station and to West Michigan, the Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) has installed a polystyrene densifier, which compacts the material and bales it so it can be taken to a processor and reused. The material was previously not accepted, ending up in a landfill, because it is difficult to recycle due to being mostly air.
“Foam polystyrene has been a problem material for recycling centers for a long time because it takes up so much space due to its air contents, making it inefficient to process,” said Nick VanderVinne, deputy director of the DPW. “Now we are able to compress and process it so it can be reused, which aligns with our goal of reducing landfill waste in Kent County.”
The densifier is available for Kent County residents to drop off foam polystyrene at the North Kent Transfer Station, located at 2908 Ten Mile Road in Rockford. Only clean, white polystyrene is accepted, including items like foam cups, coolers, packaging and takeout food containers. Packing peanuts, colored foams, meat trays and items with food residue are not accepted.
Residents can visit the North Kent Transfer Station every day except Sundays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Foam polystyrene is only accepted at this location, and the DPW hopes to expand this capability in the future.
Having a densifier in Kent County was made possible with $50,000 in grant funding through the Foam Recycling Coalition, which works to increase the recycling of packaging made from foam polystyrene. The DPW funded the installation of the machine.
Published June 2025
