Funding Now Available for Foam Recycling Programs
Falls Church, Va. (PRWEB) February 02, 2017 -- Today the Foam Recycling Coalition opened its grant submission process to support increased recycling of packaging made from foam polystyrene. The FRC, part of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, seeks applicants looking to start or strengthen a post-consumer foam polystyrene recycling program.
“In the past two years, the Foam Recycling Coalition has awarded nearly $225,000 in grants to communities in the United States and Canada” said Lynn Dyer, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute. “Almost one million more people can now recycle foam polystyrene directly due to these investments.”
Denver’s Alpine Waste & Recycling and Colchester County, Nova Scotia, received FRC grants in 2015, with Georgia’s Athens-Clarke County, Minnesota’s McLeod County and Redding, California joining them in 2016. The funding assisted with the purchase of equipment that provides foam polystyrene recycling services to their communities.
Both public and private organizations involved in managing residential curbside recycling programs or material recovery facilities are eligible to apply for funding.
This initiative helps fund infrastructure for the collection, processing and marketing of products made from foam polystyrene. It targets post-consumer foam polystyrene products, which includes foodservice packaging (i.e., cups, plates, bowls, clamshells, cafeteria trays) and other types of packaging, such as egg cartons; meat trays; and protective packaging (used when shipping electronics and other fragile items).
The FRC distributes up to $50,000 for each grant. Grant amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis dependent upon equipment needs. Although no cash match is required, additional costs may be incurred by the grantee for related items such as site preparation, provision of conveying system, electrical infrastructure, freight and other installation costs.
Grantees are required to communicate the addition of foam polystyrene in their recycling program, both directly to households and in their regular communication materials. Grantees also must commit to collecting, processing and marketing foam polystyrene for a minimum of three years, which includes reporting on the volumes to FRC.
Formed in 2014, the Foam Recycling Coalition focuses exclusively on recycling foodservice packaging made from foam. Its members include Americas Styrenics; Cascades Canada ULC; CKF Inc.; Chick-fil-A; Commodore; Dart Container Corp.; Dyne-A-Pak; Genpak; Hawaii Foam Products; INEOS Styrolution; NOVA Chemicals Corp.; Pactiv Foodservice/Food Packaging; and TOTAL Petrochemicals & Refining USA.
Applications must be submitted by April 17, 2017 for priority consideration. The FRC will announce grant recipients throughout the year.
Further information and grant application are available at http://www.recyclefoam.org.
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ABOUT FPI: Founded in 1933, the Foodservice Packaging Institute is the leading authority for the North American foodservice packaging industry. FPI encourages the responsible use of all foodservice packaging through promotion of its benefits and members’ products. Serving as the voice of the industry to educate and influence stakeholders, FPI provides a legal forum to address the challenges and opportunities facing the foodservice packaging industry. Members include foodservice packaging manufacturers and their raw material and machinery suppliers, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, distributors and nearly 50 school districts, colleges and universities. Learn more at http://www.fpi.org.
ABOUT FRC: The Foam Recycling Coalition was formed under the Foodservice Packaging Institute in 2014 to support increased recycling of foodservice packaging made from foam polystyrene. FRC shares general information on foam recycling, provides technical resources and offers funding assistance to programs ready to start or strengthen post-consumer foam recycling. Members include stakeholders from throughout the foodservice packaging value chain. Learn more at http://www.fpi.org/stewardship.
Lynn Dyer, Foodservice Packaging Institute, http://www.fpi.org, +1 571.255.4211, [email protected]
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