Gaudreau Environnement To Expand Processing Capabilities For Foam Recycling

A grant from FPI's Foam Recycling Coalition will fund a foam densifier to add to Gaudreau Environnement's current materials recovery processing system.

Falls Church, VA (PRWEB) - Gaudreau Environnement has received a $49,250 grant from the Foam Recycling Coalition to fund a foam densifier to add to its current materials recovery processing system.

Gaudreau, a 60-year-old integrated waste management service provider in Victoriaville, Quebec, is the operator of the region’s materials recovery facility. Over the past 22 years, Gaudreau has successfully increased the region’s waste diversion rate to 65 percent. “We are focused on processing additional materials, including foam polystyrene packaging. With a new densifier, it will assist with the viability of processing these new materials and efficiently shipping them to end markets in our region,” said Nicholas Gaudreau, director of Gaudreau Environnement.

When the project starts in April 2018, Gaudreau estimates its new waste diversion strategy will increase curbside collection and processing of post-consumer foam polystyrene packaging material to approximately 25 tons per year, which includes foodservice packaging and bulky packaging. The company has already identified other recyclers in Quebec and Ontario to process this new material.

“Waste companies like Gaudreau Environnement provide the processing we need to help increase foam recycling across North America,” said Lynn Dyer, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, which houses the Foam Recycling Coalition. “This grant money is central to Gaudreau’s strategy to increase its diversion rate, and these efforts mean valuable materials can be recycled in the communities served instead of going to the landfill.”

The grant was made possible through contributions to FPI’s Foam Recycling Coalition, which focuses exclusively on increased recycling of post-consumer foam polystyrene. The coalition launched the grant program in 2015 to help fund infrastructure to collect and process these products. Its members include Americas Styrenics; Cascades Canada ULC; CKF Inc.; Chick-fil-A; Commodore; Dart Container Corp.; Dyne-A-Pak; Genpak; Hawaii’s Finest Products; INEOS Styrolution; NOVA Chemicals Corp.; Pactiv Foodservice/Food Packaging; Republic Plastics; and TOTAL Petrochemicals & Refining USA.

Gaudreau Environnement is the ninth grant recipient to receive FRC funding since 2015. Nearly 1 million additional residents in the U.S. and Canada can recycle foam as a result of the funding.

More grant funding will be available in 2018. Visit http://www.recyclefoam.org to learn about previous recipients or to apply for a grant.

ABOUT FPI: Founded in 1933, the Foodservice Packaging Institute is the trade association for the foodservice packaging industry in North America. FPI promotes the value and benefits of foodservice packaging and serves as the industry’s leading authority to educate and influence stakeholders. Members include raw material and machinery suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and purchasers of foodservice packaging. For more information or to follow us on social media, visit http://www.FPI.org.

ABOUT FRC: The Foam Recycling Coalition was formed under the Foodservice Packaging Institute in 2014 to support increased recycling of foodservice packaging made from polystyrene foam. FRC shares general information on foam recycling, provides technical resources and offers funding assistance to programs ready to start or strengthen post-consumer foam recycling. Members include stakeholders from throughout the foodservice packaging value chain. Learn more at http://www.recyclefoam.org.