Pointe-Claire launches new program to boost polystyrene recycling

MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): The City of Pointe-Claire has launched a new program aimed at increasing the collection and recycling of polystyrene. The City has decided to place dedicated drop-off bins for polystyrene at the entrance of the city's public works department on Terra Cotta Avenue. The City of Pointe-Claire has partnered with Canadian Plastics industry Association (CPIA) and Granby-based Polyform for the project.

The placement of the bins is aimed to make polystyrene recycling easier for Pointe-Claire residents. According to Canadian Plastics industry Association (CPIA), the decision to place the bins is on the back of the overwhelming response by residents witnessed during the dedicated polystyrene collection days in Pointe-Claire and Beaconsfield.

The drop-off bins will accept three types of polystyrene products that are marked with the number 6 recycling symbol- Styrofoam (protective packaging, cups, coolers), Extruded polystyrene (grocery store trays and packaging) and Rigid polystyrene (coffee cups and lids). The materials collected will be recycled and reused in making useful products.

The City also informed that residents are allowed to drop off polystyrene at The LaSalle Ecocenter. There has been a considerable rise in polystyrene recycling rates by consumers since the inception of LaSalle pilot program in October 2013. The City is set to open Saint-Laurent Ecocentre-a new permanent drop-off depot, by this summer.

According to CPIA, a proposal to launch similar polystyrene collection program in Beaconsfield is under discussion.

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association is the national voice of Canada's plastics industry, representing the interests of processors, material suppliers, equipment manufacturers and brand owners across the country. In Quebec, the plastics industry represents $4.4 billion in annual sales and $1.7 billion in exports. The industry employs 19,000 people directly and provides many support jobs.

Founded in 1963, Polyform, Inc. is one of the largest manufacturers in Canada to focus on transforming expanded cellular plastic.