Binghampton Development Corporation Expands CHaRM Facility to Accept Foam
The Foodservice Packaging Institute has awarded a grant to Binghampton Development Corporation's CHaRM facility to to add a foam densifier and increase recycling.
FALLS CHURCH, Va., Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Binghampton Development Corporation, a non-profit community development corporation located in Memphis, Tennessee, has received a $50,000 grant from the Foodservice Packaging Institute's Foam Recycling Coalition to add a foam densifier to its current Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) facility.
Over the last 18 years, the Binghampton Development Corporation has pursued revitalizing the historic Binghampton neighborhood of Memphis through housing and economic development as well as empowerment programs for those in poverty. The organization has cultivated revenue generating programs that focus on employing and educating new skills to neighborhood workers. Their latest endeavor, which began in fall 2021, is a development partnership to start recycling hard-to-recycle items that are currently contributing to the blight for many Memphis neighborhoods.
New recycling operations will assist in cleaning up neighborhoods for over 350,000 households and bring recycling services to the metro area's 1.3 million residents. The first phase of the recycling program will begin with tire recycling, with future phases including disassembling and recycling old streetlights and recycling mattresses. These programs are expected to provide job training while recycling materials, including aluminum, copper, plastic, glass, steel and soon, foam polystyrene.
Foam Recycling Coalition funding allows the organization to purchase and install a high-capacity densifier unit to better manage its foam recycling collection at its facility. The densifier will allow the facility to accept foam materials, such as foodservice packaging, post-consumer foam packaging and padding, and production scrap from local businesses and residents.
"Memphis consumers currently do not have an option to recycle foam. With help from the Foam Recycling Coalition's generous $50,000 grant, this new program gives us the opportunity to provide a service for this need from residents and small businesses," says Andy Kizzee, business hub director of the Binghamton Development Corporation.
"Binghampton Development Corporation is doing incredible work to promote job training and material recovery that impacts neighborhoods in the greater Memphis area. The organization is providing the necessary services to recycle clean and empty foam packaging that is generated by residents and businesses," says Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, which oversees the Foam Recycling Coalition. "It sets a great example of how one organization can expand its current programming and operations and educate residents as the capability to recycle foam polystyrene continues to increase across North America."
The grant is made possible through contributions to the Foam Recycling Coalition, which focuses exclusively on increased recycling of post-consumer foam polystyrene. Its members include Americas Styrenics; Cascades Canada ULC; CKF Inc.; Chick-fil-A; Dart Container Corp.; Dolco Packaging, Dyne-A-Pak; Genpak; INEOS Styrolution America LLC; Pactiv Foodservice/Food Packaging; Republic Plastics.
Binghampton Development Corporation is the 22nd grant recipient to receive this funding since 2015. Over 4 million additional residents in the U.S. and Canada can recycle foam as a result of Foam Recycling Coalition grants. Visit http://www.RecycleFoam.org to learn about foam recycling, read about previous recipients, or apply for a grant.
ABOUT FPI: Founded in 1933, the Foodservice Packaging Institute is the trade association for the foodservice packaging industry in North America. FPI promotes the value and benefits of foodservice packaging and serves as the industry's leading authority to educate and influence stakeholders. Members include raw material and machinery suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and purchasers of foodservice packaging. For more information or to follow us on social media, visit 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.RecycleFoam.org.
Media Contact
Natha Dempsey, Foodservice Packaging Institute, 571.255.4212, [email protected]
SOURCE Foodservice Packaging Institute
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