Westcoast in  Canada is now offering a Styrofoam Recycling Program. Previously, Styrofoam has been known as a non-recyclable product due to its composition and light mass.

All EPS Styrofoam products such as cups and plates, meat trays, shipping protection, egg cartons, clam shells, packing peanuts and fish coolers are now fully recyclable with Westcoast Plastic Recycling. Minimum charge for a Styrofoam (EPS) pick up is $30. Westcoast Plastic Recycling is currently servicing Richmond, Vancouver, Burnaby, Langley, Maple Ridge Surrey, Coquitlam, Abbotsford, Port Coquitlam, North Vancouver, New Westminster and surrounding areas. Styrofoam must be segregated into two categories: white and color.

The process of recycling Styrofoam can be classified into two different methods such as densified with heat (thermal densification), or without heat (cold compaction). Densification of EPS Styrofoam is a necessary process to reduce the cost associated with transporting Styrofoam, the efficiency of the densifier is so much so that the end product is 1/40th of original size – roughly the equivalent of reducing the volume of the material by 95%.

Furthermore, due to the fact that China holds the primary market for recycled Styrofoam, densification plays a pivotal role in transportation costs as well as reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation of the material.