![John Dmytryk adds styrofoam to the densifier, as Sammy Thompson collects the styrofoam log which the densifier produces, in the Shawnee Pioneer Library parking lot on May 9. The University Lutheran Church Green Team from Norman collected enough #6 Styrofoam to produce nine logs that day, which will eventually go to a plastics broker, then to a manufacturer. They also collect styrofoam egg cartons to pass on to their "Poultry Partners" and will return to the library on Oct. 10.](/sites/default/files/styles/flexslider/public/b942927636_Ar00701001.jpg?itok=InFk3-IN "John Dmytryk adds styrofoam to the densifier, as Sammy Thompson collects the styrofoam log which the densifier produces, in the Shawnee Pioneer Library parking lot on May 9. The University Lutheran Church Green Team from Norman collected enough #6 Styrofoam to produce nine logs that day, which will eventually go to a plastics broker, then to a manufacturer. They also collect styrofoam egg cartons to pass on to their "Poultry Partners" and will return to the library on Oct. 10.")
Styrofoam, or expanded polystyrene, can take up 30 percent of space in landfills and takes 500 years to decompose, according to the Society of Environmental Journalists website.
With this in mind, the University Lutheran Church Green Team, out of Norman, began its Styrofoam recycling project in 2016.
As part of the Churches Caring for Creation, a partnership of nine churches, in 2021, they received a $23,000 grant from the Foodservice Packaging Institute Foam Recycling Coalition. With that, they bought a 12-foot trailer and a 90-pound foam densifier, said Green Team Chair Cathy Bowden.
The Green Team and their densifier could be found in the Shawnee Public Library parking lot on May 9, where they collected enough Styrofoam to produce nine 10-pound logs.
These will be stored until they have around 20,000 pounds. Then, they sell it to a plastics broker who will pick up the load and pass it on to a plastics manufacturer.
Bowden said the densifier cooks down the Styrofoam and converts it from 95 percent air and five percent plastic to five percent air and 95 percent plastic.
She added that, last year, they collected 17,000 pounds of densified Styrofoam and filled up a 53-foot transport truck.
In addition to May 9, this year, they visited the library parking lot on Feb. 14, and they will return on Oct. 10, 10 am to noon.
They also go to the libraries in Moore, Purcell, Blanchard and Newcastle three times per year. Visit the Churches Caring for Creation Facebook page for more information.
According to a Green Team handout, Styrofoam collected must be free of food or drink residue and all tape or paper labels. Expanded polystyrene has a #6 on the recycling symbol.
In addition to Styrofoam from food service, they also received bags full of egg cartons. Bowden said they get between 500 and 700 egg cartons each month. Then, they contact their “Poultry Partners” to pick them up at University Lutheran. In this way, the chicken farmers don’t have to buy egg cartons.
Any trash bags collected are bundled and passed on to landscape companies.
Plus, Bowden said they work with Sprouts and NexTrex Recycling, who turn plastic bags into park benches.
In addition, fabric and seeds are accepted for reuse by the Green Team.
“We try to be as responsible as possible,” said Bowden.