Pro-recycling group, ‘PS Recycle It’ is putting together a five borough styrofoam recycling day on Saturday, January 9.
The group consists of a coalition of restaurant owners, pro recycling groups, and small corporations.
They are asking that people save their foam packaging from Christmas and the holidays and bring it in to be recycled rather than add the material to landfills.
Recyclables to be collected include foam, boxes, TVs and radio packaging, cups, and anything else made of styrofoam that would otherwise be thrown out.
New York City council members from each borough are sponsoring foam pickup locations in their respective neighborhoods, which will be open from 9 a.m. to noon.
The Bronx location is being sponsored by Councilman Fernando Cabrera and will be held at the Kingsbridge Armory at 10 W. 195th Street (corner of Reservoir Avenue).
“PS Recycle It is proud to join Council Member Cabrera in a citywide styrofoam recycling event.. the foam packaging that kept gifts protected during the holidays and the foam cups and containers we use every day are 100 percent recyclable and can be turned into a variety of items we use in our homes every day, “said Sarah Gould, the spokeswoman for PS Recycle It.
Gould has been extremely involved in the organization since its fruitation in early 2015. “This is an opportunity for the public to make a huge impact and truly help the environment,” she said.
The City of New York does not currently recycle styrofoam, although the group suggests that a proposal which would allow one hundred percent of all NYC foam to be recycled at no extra cost to taxpayers is in the works and will hopefully be attended to soon.
“The previous administration took the position that styrofoam could not be recycled and evidence suggests that it can be. This is another way to demonstrate that styrofoam can be recycled and has the potential to create jobs, and create products,” said Greg Faulkner, Councilman Cabrera’s chief of staff.
“A lot of the environmental community has come on board with this,” said Faulkner. “We helped to locate a facility so that people can drop off their styrofoam from the holidays. This is all preliminary around whether styrofoam should be legal, and support of legislation that would prevent the elimination of styrofoam.”
Other councilmembers taking part in this recycling day include Inez Dickens of Manhattan, Alan Maisel of Brooklyn, Ruben Willis of Queens and Deborah Rose of Staten Island.
