Between Black Friday sales and large gifts, families find themselves left with a lot of packaging – particularly large sheets of styrofoam used to protect fragile merchandise. 

Until being introduced to Mark North, a former recycling coordinator for Randolph County, Monroe County did not have a way to recycle this type of solid, particle styrofoam.

Now, locals can drop it at the Monroe County Health Department, located ar 1315 Jamie Lane in Waterloo, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Monroe County Health Department Administrator John Wagner said his office plans on providing this opportunity “at least” until the new year, but may continue it longer if demand persists. 

He said the county’s recycling center cannot collect this specific type of styrofoam as it does not have the space to process it. If demand is large enough, the health department might seek ways to recycle styrofoam closer to home. 

“If it looks like we are able to find enough material to make it worthwhile, then we will look into finding a permanent home for styrofoam recycling in the county, whether it be a different site or trying to do something at the recycling center (in Monroe County),” Wagner said. 

While working in Randolph County, North formed a relationship with Menard Correctional Center’s recycling program, as the program recycled multiple types of items for that county over a multi-year span. 

It wasn’t until approximately a year ago that the center received a grant for a densifier, at which point Randolph County began sending select types of styrofoam to be recycled there. 

“It just melts it down and extrudes it into a solid type,” North explained of the new equipment. 

Through working with Menard, North quickly learned Randolph County residents were not the only ones benefiting from the partnership. 

“(The inmates) really enjoy it because it gets them out of the prison and they get to work outside,” North said. “They actually are learning trades like driving forklifts and working on vehicles, so it’s a really good deal for the prison, the prisoners, Randolph County and the other counties that use it.” 

North said the correctional center has been able to collect revenue from the program as well. 

“There’s money in that recycling,” North said, adding profits are larger due to the prisoners providing minimal labor costs. 

When North moved to Monroe County earlier this year and saw it was not able to collect particle styrofoam, he began working with the health department to find a way to collect and transport this recycling from Monroe County to Menard.

This took longer than North had anticipated, though, as the original plan was to use a semi trailer to collect and transport the styrofoam just as North did in Randolph County. 

“Initially, we were trying to find sites where we could put a semi trailer or something, but there’s just no feasible site within city limits to do anything like that,” Wagner said. 

As a result, the health department is using one of its smaller trailers to collect the styrofoam at its office. Once that trailer is mostly full – if not completely packed – North will transport it to the correctional center in Chester.

North said it is very important for people to understand only the white particle styrofoam will be accepted. He explained this is the type used to protect and hold TVs, computer monitors, fragile materials and other similar merchandise in place in their boxes. 

When one breaks apart this styrofoam, white static-like “peas” will break off. 

Packing peanuts, egg cartons, cups and bowls and pliable foam will not be accepted. 

North is optimistic Monroe County will not see too many non-recyclable materials dropped off. 

“I know it’s been very successful in Sparta and we really haven’t had a lot of trouble with people dumping the wrong stuff,” North said, adding, “Education is the key to this. If you get people to understand what they can recycle, you’re not going to get stuff (that’s non-recyclable).”