Coloured or Dyed Styrofoam is Now Considered Garbage

Published on: 2016/05/10 - in Releases

Beginning this week, only plain white Styrofoam can be recycled in Kingston. The City of Kingston can no longer accept coloured/dyed Styrofoam in its blue box or in bundles at curbside.

Those who buy Styrofoam from the City no longer buy coloured /dyed Styrofoam. That means that blue, pink, black and other colours of Styrofoam, often used as meat trays, can no longer be recycled – and that means they are garbage.

“Please continue putting plain white Styrofoam in the blue box. We want to be clear with Kingstonians about what is recyclable and what is garbage. We urge everyone to avoid buying anything that ends up as garbage,” says Heather Roberts, manager of solid waste.

The City has a goal to divert 60 per cent of all household waste from landfill by 2018.

COME TO THE KARC OPEN HOUSE AND PICK UP A FREE TREE

Learn more about what is recyclable and what is garbage by taking a free tour of the Kingston Area Recycling Centre (KARC) from 1 to 4 p.m. this Saturday, May 7 at 196 Lappan’s Lane. The open house is being held as part of United Way’s Success by Six week events.

The tour gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how recyclables are sorted and prepared for market.

You can also pick up a free tree to bring home and plant during the open house. The City’s Climate Action team is giving away 75 white pine seedlings. Trees help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere helping to combat climate change.

Recycling also helps combat climate change because it takes less energy and produces fewer greenhouse gases to make new items from recycled material.

For more on City recycling, see: CityofKingston.ca/Recycling.
Find out more about the Kingston Climate Action Plan at CityofKingston.ca/ClimateAction.
Plan your bus trip with Google Transit: Kingstontransit.ca/tripplanner.

About the City of Kingston

The City of Kingston provides municipal services to 125,000 residents living in this visually stunning, historic city, often ranked one of the best places to live in Canada. In 2014, it was named a Top 7 Smart Community by the Intelligent Community Forum. Kingston is focusing on being smart and livable as it pursues its vision to become Canada’s most sustainable city.

We focus on environmental responsibility, social equity, economic health and cultural vitality – – ensuring that today’s decisions don’t compromise our future.

Please visit CityofKingston.ca and join the conversation on social media:
Twitter: @CityofKingston
Facebook: TheCityofKingston


Release source: City of Kingston | Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

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