Dart Container unveils new post-consumer foam collection site in Randleman, North Carolina, encourages public to divert plastic with recycling #6 on it from landfills

Graziela Medina Shepnick

RANDLEMAN, North Carolina , February 25, 2010 (press release) – Dart Container of North Carolina encourages residents and organizations near Randolph County to divert foam from landfills at its free foam collection center so the foam can be recycled
 
Foam recycling has arrived in Randolph County.  Dart Container of North Carolina today unveiled its latest post-consumer foam collection site in Randleman.  The free drop-off will pioneer a new way for North Carolina residents, businesses and organizations to recycle foam with the number 6 on it ().
 
Dart’s Randleman foam collection site is one of the state’s first public sites to accept foam food service containers, including foam cups, plates, take-out containers, egg cartons, as well as shaped or molded foam often used to package electronics.  This site, Dart’s 13th drop-off location in the country, will divert foam from area landfills and allow it to be recycled into new products such as picture frames and moldings.
 
“We’re thrilled we’re able to make foam recycling possible in North Carolina and we look forward to hearing feedback from residents and businesses who we hope will utilize this free benefit,” said Michael Westerfield, Corporate Director of Recycling Programs at Dart Container Corporation.   “There’s no limit on how much you can bring – we’ll take as much as the public brings us as long as it’s clean.”
 
Once foam is dropped off at Dart, it is then compacted and shipped to a company that will use it as feedstock to make new materials.  To be accepted for recycling, the foam must bear the “6” symbol with chasing arrows ().  The facility is open to the public from midnight Sunday through midnight Friday.
 
“We congratulate Dart Container Corporation on this exciting milestone,” said North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco.  “Governor Perdue has emphasized strongly the importance of green jobs to diversify our economy, and Dart’s foam recycling plant is a great example of putting that into practice.”
 
To mark this special occasion, Dart Corporation held a ribbon-cutting Thursday, Feb. 25 outside of the new drop off facility at Dart Container of North Carolina at 3219 Wesleyan Road, Randleman, NC.
 
"I am pleased to see that Dart Container is providing an opportunity to recycle foam in Randolph County,” said North Carolina State Senator Jerry Tillman. “The company's new drop-off site, which is free to the public, will provide a valuable service to the people of North Carolina."
 
Dart is driving recycling efforts from its manufacturing facilities to workplaces, warehouse recycling centers and consumers’ homes in curbside recycling efforts across the country.  Often improperly called “Styrofoam,” a registered trademark of the Dow Chemical Company, Dart’s products are recyclable and reusable.  Recycled foam food service products can be reprocessed into building insulation, plastic lumber, and many other products.  Foam products generate less waste in their production than paper alternatives, are stable and safe in landfills, and burn cleanly in modern municipal energy-from-waste facilities.
 
Foam can be recycled by:
 
- Rinsing cups and containers to rid them of food.
- Placing foam in a clear plastic bag.
- No straws or lids.
- No foam insulation
- No packaging peanuts (call 800-828-2214 or go to www.loosefillpackaging.com for sites).
 
About Dart Container Corporation

Established in 1937, Dart Container Corporation sets the industry standard of excellence by providing high quality, recyclable, affordable and safe foodservice products and packaging, exceptionally reliable service and responsible environmental practices.  Dart is making a concerted effort to increase foam recycling opportunities throughout the country and strives to produce high-quality, cost-effective products in a manner sensitive to environmental concerns.  Dart is headquartered in Mason, Mich.  For more information, visit www.dart.biz or call (800) 248-5960.

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