Regional Refuse District 1, the recycling center for Winsted, Barkhamsted and New Hartford, recently acquired a Foam Cycle, a Styrofoam recycling machine. It’s the first such machine in the state, and one of about 35 that are being used nationwide, according to Winsted First Selectman Todd Arcelaschi.
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A pile of Styrofoam waits to be ground up at Regional Refuse District 1, the recycling center for Winsted, Barkhamsted and New Hartford, which recently acquired a Styrofoam recycling machine.
Emily M. Olson/Hearst Connecticut Media
Regional Refuse District 1, the recycling center for Winsted, Barkhamsted and New Hartford, recently acquired a Styrofoam recycling machine from Foam Cycle. It’s the first such machine in the state, and one of about 35 that are being used nationwide, according to Winsted First Selectman Todd Arcelaschi.
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Bins of Styrofoam, dropped off by Regional Refuse District 1 customers, will be ground up in the district’s new Foam Cycle machine.
Emily M. Olson/Hearst Connecticut Media
Regional Refuse District 1 director and Winsted Mayor Todd Arcelaschi shows the Foam Cycle machine, which the recycling center recently acquired to recycle Styrofoam.
Emily M. Olson/Hearst Connecticut Media
Regional Refuse District 1 director and Winsted Mayor Todd Arcelaschi shows the Foam Cycle machine, which the recycling center recently acquired to recycle Styrofoam.
Emily M. Olson/Hearst Connecticut Media
Recycled Styrofoam is crushed, heated and dispensed as new material in the Foam Cycle machine.
Emily M. Olson/Hearst Connecticut Media
Recycled Styrofoam is crushed, heated and dispensed as new material in the Foam Cycle machine, where it cools to form a brick of material.
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Not all types of Styrofoam can be recycled; on the right, foam packing materials made with a softer type of polystyrene melt quickly and burn.
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Recycled Styrofoam can be used for interior finishes, frames and trim.
Emily M. Olson/Hearst Connecticut Media
BARKHAMSTED — A small regional recycling center is the first in Connecticut to obtain and use a Foam Cycle recycling machine, helping to remove plastic foam from their waste stream.
The innovative machine converts plastic foam, often known by the brand name Styrofoam, into building material.
“They can make all kinds of stuff, picture frames, boxes… the best thing is that the material can be ground up again, and used for something else,” said Todd Arcelaschi, Winsted mayor and director of Regional Refuse District 1 in Barkhamsted. “In theory, it never goes back into the waste stream again.”
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Styrofoam, a material used for packaging anything and everything to be shipped, can be found in landfills all over the world. More than 5 billion pounds of Styrofoam ends up in landfills and waterways every year, according to the organization Heal the Planet. About 14 million tons of the stuff are produced annually, the website reported, and Americans alone throw away about 25 billion Styrofoam cups every year, Heal the Planet states.
Yet, Foam Cycle’s website states, the material is one of the “least recycled plastics”
In addition to the throw-away waste, Heal the Planet reports that between 25 and 35 percent of all landfill waste comes from Styrofoam products, which are used for food storage as well as packing materials for everything from electronics to furniture.
“I can see what they mean about Styrofoam taking up 25 percent of our landfills, because even though it’s light, it takes up a lot of space,” Arcelaschi said.
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The recycling facility accepts waste of all kinds, from residents in Barkhamsted, New Hartford and Winsted. Costs are shared among the three towns, which contribute funding for operations and improvements through their capital budgets, Arcelaschi said.
The director and RRD1 board members learned about the Foam Cycle machine last year, and decided to find out more about it. They had options to rent, lease or buy the machine outright, and after weighing the interest costs, decided to purchase the machine for $83,000, after a six-month trial period. The machine has been up and running since late August.
“A pallet of recycled foam can weigh between 800 and 2,000 pounds, so at 40 cents a pound, this will pay for itself in no time,” Arcelaschi said.
Arcelaschi demonstrated the equipment during a recent visit to RRD1, which is located off Route 44 and offers recycling services for everything from household items to food waste and construction materials. The center has a “store” where items in good shape are available, such as toys, sports equipment, furniture and household items.
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Standing next to a large quantity of plastic foam, Arcelaschi turned the Foam Cycle machine on and fed several large pieces of the material in, where they were ground into tiny particles. The machine heats the ground plastic foam to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and reduces it to a thick, white “sausage” like material that is fed out of a portal on the side.
Once there’s a suitable amount of recycled plastic foam in the catch tray, which sticks together to form a solid “brick,” it’s stacked on a pallet and can be sent to another facility for reprocessing. RRD1 will be paid about 40 cents a pound for the material from a facility, which sends the material to manufacturers.
“It’s not difficult to run the machine, but there are things to watch out for, and you have to monitor it,” Arcelaschi said. “I got the training from Foam Cycle, but I am training some of our other part-time staff here to use it, so we can keep up with it. We’ve received a lot (of Styrofoam) already and people from other towns are calling us about it; they either want to use our Foam Cycle, or maybe get their own.”
The resulting material is rock-hard and heavy, and is used to make building materials, Arcelaschi said. He showed some samples of wood-like trim for doorways, walls and windows, which he said were from a cruise ship.
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The machine was first used in New Jersey in 2016 and has since spread to 12 states, reaching 11 million residents, according to Foam Cycle’s website. Over 35 of the machines are in use, Foam Cycle says.
Not all Styrofoam can be recycled with RRD1’s machine, Arcelaschi said.
“Unfortunately there are types of foam that we can’t take, because it’s softer, it’s made differently, and it melts too fast, and turns brown when the material comes out,” he said. “You can smell it, and when it comes out, it’s burnt; it’s dark brown.
But there’s plenty of recyclable Styrofoam around for the recycling center that will make the Foam Cycle pay for itself, Arcelaschi said.
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“We’re asking people to remove any tape or shipping labels, and any cardboard, if they can, before dropping it off. We’ll do it if they don’t,” he said. “But they don’t need to break it up. The machine can take pretty big pieces of this stuff.”
Learn more at rrdd1.com, or call the recycling center at 860-379-1972
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Publish date : 2024-09-16 22:00:00
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