UCD Students Collect 250 Pounds of Foam Over the Weekend

From UC Davis

UC Davis Student Housing is partnering with Dart Container as a part of its green student move-in recycling drive for foam packaging this past weekend. A crew of over 30 UC Davis recycling volunteers were there helping with the collection. 

Dart Container, which has a manufacturing plant in Lodi for foam foodservice containers, is partnering with UC Davis Student Housing to collect and recycle the material. In the two-day drive, Dart plans to collect more than 30 cubic yards, or 250 lbs. of foam – enough to fill a large school bus. Following the collection, the material will then be transferred to Dart’s Lodi facility for processing. It will then go to another manufacturer that will use the recycled material to create premium picture frames and crown molding.

The cardboard will be sent to Recycling Industries in Sacramento.

UC Davis student housing is setting their goal for zero waste by 2020. And with their Energy Star rating buildings, energy efficiency measures that include Smart thermostats, low flow/flush restroom fixtures in all residence halls, 22 water bottle filling stations and a bicycle parking spot for every resident, it is no wonder Sierra Magazine named UC Davis number 1 “Coolest School” in their ranking for the country’s greenest colleges in 2012. 

This recycling drive is just another example of their sustainability leadership. 

"This is our third year partnering with Dart, and it is a great opportunity for students to have a hand in improving our school, while learning about the importance of environmental responsibility at UC Davis,” said Jenni Porter,sustainability coordinator for UC Davis Student Housing.

Any foam (often mistakenly called Styrofoam which is trademarked by Dow Chemical) stamped with the triangular chasing arrows with a #6 in the center is a recyclable product that is used in a wide range of products, from foam cups and foodservice containers, to the large molded blocks used to package electronics. Foam isrecycled throughout California including 67 local municipalities that offer curbside recycling pick-up programs and 13 school districts that recycle their foam lunch trays. 

Michael Westerfield, corporate director of recycling programs at Dart, said the company is committed to working with partners such as UC Davis to recycle foam and improve California’s environmental sustainability. “UC Davis’ move-in program makes it easy for students to recycle while reducing landfill waste. It’s a great program that we are proud to be a part of that not only encourages students to continue to recycle every day but educates them about the many products that are recyclable,” he said.

Local drop-off for recyclables including foam can be found by searching “foam” athttp://search.earth911.com. For more information about Dart’s commitment with other municipalities, please go to http://www.dart.biz/recycleca.