Wal-Mart Canada Launches Polystyrene Recycling Program
Wal-Mart Canada recently announced its launch of a nationwide polystyrene recycling program at eight of its Canadian stores. Grace Canada, a leading supplier and manufacturer of industrial products for the manufacture of plastics and building materials, will collect used polystyrene (Styrofoam) packaging from Wal-Mart and reuse it to produce fire-resistant commercial insulation.
“As we work with our merchandise suppliers long-term to eliminate the polystyrene used in products and packaging, we’re also looking at interim solutions to divert this waste from landfill,” said John Lawrence, director of corporate social responsibility for Wal-Mart Canada. “We have ambitious sustainability goals and continue to seek innovative solutions in order to meet them.”
The program is an important step towards Wal-Mart Canada’s “zero waste” initiative. Other environmentally sound practices include in-store, multi-stream waste diversion programs to recycle:
- Paper
- Beverage containers
- Plastic bags
- Film
Over 220 million pounds (100 million kilograms) of waste were diverted from landfills in 2007 because of Wal-Mart’s initiatives.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments.
The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
Rudy Mares
posted on November 3rd, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Hi Jennifer and my name is Rudy Mares and I was wondering do they recycle magazine ? I want to to know how do I start a business like recycling all kind of plastic bottles the kind of they don’t pay ? I was collecting all kind of bottles the recycle place said we don’t take those bottle so I threw in the trash . I would like to get a government grant to start a recycle plastic all kinds . So tell me if you know where I can go to start a business like that ?
Rudy Mares
Jennifer Berry
posted on November 6th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Hi Rudy,
Thanks for your question. I don’t believe the Wal-Mart program detailed in the above article recycles magazines. Starting a recycling program is a great endeavor, and I am excited that you would like to do that. Are you in Canada? We have a page detailing recycling programs in many countries around the world, including some great information for Canada. On the page, there is an organization which you can contact in each province. I would start by reaching out to these organizations, so you can learn more about the specific parameters for recycling in each area.
I hope this helps!
Jennifer
Sunny
posted on November 27th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
HI Jennifer,
My name is Sunny, we are end user of the recycled polystyrene foams,we use them to manufacture plastic photo frames, acturally we have sold our products to Wal-mart already.Now i am interested in the recycling of the polystyrene packaging waste, we can provide machine to recycled them and them buy the recycled material back for our production. So,i wonder if the company has any interests in cooperate with us.
Thanks
Sunny
Jennifer Berry
posted on November 28th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Hi Sunny,
That’s great that you recycle. If you are looking to get a hold of someone from Wal-Mart Canada, I would head over to their website and submit an email or request to speak to someone over there. Sorry I couldn’t be of any more help!
Susan
posted on December 5th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Hello! Regarding the eight Wal-Mart stores in Canada that are planning to recycle polystyrene (Styrofoam) packaging: WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I wish the U.S. Wal-Mart stores would follow suit. This is a product that has always seemed to have “issues” as far as recycling goes. I have a big bag of food-container Styrofoam in my garage that is continuing to accumulate, because my local recycler no longer accepts it. He long ago stopped accepting the packaging Styrofoam. More and more of this stuff is ending up in landfills, and it does not break down, as I understand. What a colossal problem.
David
posted on December 15th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Hello Jennifer,
My company is located in Springfield NJ. We have been recycling styrofoam packaging of all sizes since the mid 1970′s. We bring in trailer loads of styrofoam everyday from companys and also local residents drop off. Over the years we have grown into one of the largest styrofoam recylers on the east coast. We can recycle 1000 pounds per hour at our plant. I have tried in the past to get in touch with someone at Walmart to start some kind of styrofoam recycling program but cannot get to the right person. Do you have any contacts that would help us get to the right people?
Michele
posted on December 17th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
David,
What is the name of your company? I live in Oklahoma and no one around here recycles styrofoam. It would be great to get companies interested in doing so.
Racheal
posted on December 19th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Hi Jenn, Quick ?. They dont recycle styrofoam here in Houston- Since walmart recycles styrofoam- do they also have a bin to allow the community to recyle them? If not- I will have to mail it out of state and i cant stomache throwing it out
Racheal
posted on December 19th, 2008 at 8:25 am
one more thing- can potato chip bags be recycled? I havent found this answer anywhere
Mathias Rodriguez
posted on December 19th, 2008 at 9:00 am
If, and when is this planned in America? I’ve been stockpiling all my styro foam products in myy closet. I live in Buffalo,Ny so maybe I could make a border run!
Jennifer Berry
posted on December 19th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Hi Rachel and Mathias,
As far as I know, no styrofoam recycling initiatives are in place for U.S. Wal-Marts. Mail-in programs are a good idea (you can use our recycling search at the top of this screen to find one). Also, if you have packing peanuts, I know that a number of shipping stores like UPS and Fed-EX will accept the peanuts for reuse. It sounds like a border run to Canada could work as well!
Thanks, and good luck with your polystyrene!
Jennifer
Jose
posted on December 26th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Hi Jennifer, I was wondering where i could get information on plastic bag recycling, such as % os recycled plastic that cna be used to produce a new bag.
BTW…Merry Christmas!!!!!
David Napper
posted on December 26th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Hey!! This plastic bag recycling sounds like a great project for the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA to organize and take part in extablishing a national action plan just as one Scout did years ago on a Eagel project establishing the Scouting For Food program. But a bigger problem is metal hangers!!! If we can get our local troop to sell plastic hangers made for sugar cane, like will be done soon in Barzil, or at least organic material. then we “cane” recycle not only the bad plastics but the metal hangers as well!
David Napper
Committe Chair
Troop 554
St. Louis, MO.
Larry Maletta II
posted on January 9th, 2009 at 7:17 am
I have a “STYROFOAM” known as EPS (expanded polystyrene) recycling company located in Marietta,GA. We are a public and business drop off location. We are also part of a national Mail back program. I also sell equipment to compact STYROFOAM. It can be recycled back into styrene prodyucts like CD cases, desk top products, crown molding, picture frames, packaging peanuts, and molders can even put up to 20% back into packaging products very easily. Municipalities that burn trash have no problems with it because it gives of no harmful toxins when burned. Please visit our website for further information and to contact us at http://www.styrocyclers.com and see our movie at http://www.youtube.com/styrocyclers
David
posted on October 4th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Hello Everyone,
My company recycles Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or styrofoam as everyone calls it. We have a mail in program so anyone not in N.J. can send there styrofoam to us via USPS / Fedex or UPS. Our company is Foam Pack Ind. 72 Fadem Rd, Springfield, NJ 07081.
PLEASE only white styrofoam from packaging or peanuts. No styrofoam cups/ plates or egg crates. You can visit our website at http://WWW.FOAMPACKINDUSTRIES.COM
Hope this helps all of you who don’t know what to do with your styrofaom.
Sunny
posted on November 5th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Hi Sunny,
That’s great that you recycle. If you are looking to get a hold of someone from Wal-Mart Canada, I would head over to their website and submit an email or request to speak to someone over there. Sorry I couldn’t be of any more help!
HI Jennifer,
Sorry, this is really a later reply! Of course, i am highly apprecited your help if you can help to transfer our message to them. We want to work with them, install our machine in every locations of Wal-mart and then collect the mateiral back. This is really a fantastic project,I don’t know who should i talk with or express our project, that’s the suitation.
Thank you
Sunny
John Lee
posted on January 4th, 2010 at 6:12 am
Hasswell Manufactures small EPS cold compactor with the principle of auger compaction. The operator of the machine puts the used EPS blocks into the hopper. The knives inside the machine will crush the EPS foam blocks into smaller flakes. The flakes will be pushed into the compaction chamber and be compressed. There is a pressure adjustment device at the end of the out-feed which can adjust the volume reduction ratio.
People can benefit from this machine by reduce the size of the scrap EPS foam blocks and greatly save transportation cost. The machine is made in China for very competitive price.
Main Features the Hasswell small EPS Compactor
Compaction ratio: up to 30:1 and reaching density of approximately 250 kg/cbm (15.6 lb/cbf)
Single phase 220V/110V
Low power consumption
Low noise and low dust
Small size and high efficiency
Safe and easy to operate
CE certified
More information is here
http://www.foam-compactor.com/Small-EPS-Compactor.html
Harden Styrofoam Compactor
posted on January 5th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Harden Industries build EPS compactors of dofferent sizes, capacity from 70 cbf/h to 1200 cbf/h.
EPS compactors make it profitable for municipalities and businesses to recycle EPS foam. The light EPS foam scrap is densified to absolute minimum, up to 50 to 1 volume reduction, reaching a densify up to 400kg/m³. With this significant volume reduction, the densified EPS foam will takes up much less storage space, and transportation of the logs is cost saving and residual value of the foam scrap is higher. The machine is energy saving, it generates no odor, and it is convenient for off-and-on operation.