MOUNT VERNON – The Board of Knox County Commissioners announces that a free after the holidays recycling collection event will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2014, from 9 A.M. – Noon, at Rumpke Recycling, 301 Columbus Road, Mount Vernon, to collect all the(EPS) Styrofoam packaging that will bring computers, televisions and other big ticket items to many homes this coming holiday season. Rumpke has graciously agreed to host this event, for the second straight year. Last year the event was held on December 29th and despite a four inch snowfall the night before, approximately one-half of a semi-load of EPS was collected.
Styrofoam, more properly referred to as Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), is hard to recycle because it is 98% air and impossible for most recycling facilities to process at a profit. Only recycling facilities that are capable of chemically compressing EPS or operate a cold press densification unit are able to process it. Therefore, 88% of the Styrofoam-like products consumed each year in the U.S. ends up in a landfill where it won’t decompose for 500 years!
Fortunately for Knox County, Phoenix Recycling, a facility capable of processing EPS, islocated less than 50 miles away in Columbus. Without the help of Rumpke, who isproviding, free of charge, usage of their facility and loading dock to stage this event,along with manpower and equipment, this event would not be possible. Advertising and contractual expenses with Phoenix Technologies for transportation and processing of the EPS will be provided by the Board of Knox County Commissioners and the Delaware,Knox, Marion, Morrow (DKMM) Solid Waste District, from funding exclusively allotted to recycling and litter prevention programs.
