HTO/MarBorg Industries Styrofoam Recycling Program
During the public debate and hearings in the city of Santa Barbara about limiting the use of single use plastic bags, straws, and cutlery, HTO advocated against extended use of Styrofoam materials. Styrofoam is the worst substance for the environment and it is particularly lethal for sea life. Polystyrene is made of oil, and it never dissolves. It crumbles into smaller and smaller pieces, can disperse with the slightest breeze, and eventually flies into the ocean through storm drains, and other channels. The smaller each piece gets, the more it looks like plankton. And all sea animals live on plankton. HTO put out a plea for No More Styrofoam In The Trash. We asked everyone to consider shipping it to a company, Foam Fabricators, in Compton, CA, where it is repurposed into picture frames, moldings, surfboards, etc. We also said, “bring it to us”. In the first week alone, we shipped over 13 large boxes of compressed and broken-down pieces of Styrofoam to Foam Fabricators.
Styrofoam processing at MarBorg Facility in Santa Barbara
Given that shipping Styrofoam through the mail is less than efficient, HTO has partnered with MarBorg Industries to establish a one-of-a-kind program keeping mountains of styrofoam out of landfills (& the ocean).
Compressed Styrofoam bail ready to ship out
With giant volumes of plastic being more difficult to reuse, even when baled for recycling, we are forced to focus on materials that can be REPURPOSED – made into other products. We contacted Brian Borgatello, recycling guru at MarBorg Industries, and asked him if we could buy MarBorg a foam densifying machine to bring the operation closer to home. He said, “No, MarBorg can handle this,” sent a truck to pick up all the Styrofoam we had in a rented garage, and set up a baling operation in the MarBorg recycling center at David Love Place, Goleta. Result: mountains upon mountains of foam will be kept out of the waste stream – and nature.
MarBorg has two recycling sites, where the public can drop off clean and dry Styrofoam:
20 DAVID LOVE PLACE, GOLETA
132 NOPALITOS WAY, SANTA BARBARA
Recycled Styrofoam becomes crown molding post & ceiling beams, floor moldings, mirror frames, door decor, and picture frames.
