New Montreal recycling initiative targets polystyrene

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) and the City of Montreal are implementing a new pilot project designed to recover polystyrene which is not recovered by the conventional collection of regular recyclable material.

Montreal residents can now bring polystyrene to the city’s Écocentre LaSalle recycling centre, where it can be transformed in photo frames, coat hangers, flower pots and boxes, cornices, molded parts, insulating panels, protective packaging and office supplies, among other things.

“Contrary to some preconceived ideas, polystyrene is 100 per cent recyclable and other provinces such as Ontario, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia have already set up initiatives to this end,” said Paul Aucoin, a membership development worker at CPIA. “By bringing their postconsumer polystyrene products to the Écocentre LaSalle, Montrealers, and especially those who will be moving over the next few weeks, will be doing the responsible thing by diverting this material from the landfill sites and consequently allowing its recycling.”

The project will run until September 30, 2014.  

Polystyrene articles – which should be cleaned and free of any extra packaging, labels, absorbent pads and aluminum covers – can be recognized by the triangle with the number “6” inside, the CPIA added. “This symbol appears on many consumer products, as well as on food packaging and the rigid foam used to protect products such as electronics and small appliances,” the CPIA said. “Residents can consult the list of the accepted polystyrene products by visiting www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/ecocentres.”