The Styrofoam Reduction and Recycling pilot program aims to reduce Styrofoam packaging through collaboration with suppliers to find Styrofoam alternatives as well as providing a convenient means of recycling Styrofoam on campus. 

Why Reduce and Recycle Styrofoam?

Styrofoam is harmful to the environment both in disposal and in the chemicals and processes used to create it. Styrofoam takes over 500 years to degrade in normal landfills, and has been piling up for years to make up nearly 30% of garbage by volume found in landfills today. Along with filling up our landfills, when Styrofoam is burned over 90 different hazardous chemicals are released into the environment.

The goal of this project is to see no Styrofoam enter our landfills from UBC by providing a convenient and environmentally responsible way to reduce and recycle Styrofoam across the UBC-Vancouver campus. 

About the Pilot Program

Over the past two years the Brain Research Centre has worked to reduce and recycle Styrofoam with encouraging results.

In the second phase of this project we have expanded to include eight more buildings on the UBC-Vancouver campus. Waste Management Services will now pick up Styrofoam recycling from the following locations:

For more information about the Styrofoam recycling pilot program or to request plastic bags, please contact:

Keely Johnston, Environmental Services Assistant
604.822.3321

Styrofoam Reduction

There are two ways to reduce the Styrofoam used in your building:

1. Styrofoam Reduction Questionnaire
   Provide a list of products that are currently received in Styrofoam packaging at your laboratory. Supply Management will then negotiate for better packaging alternatives on behalf of your lab.

   Note: Completing the Lab Styrofoam Reduction Questionnaire is a mandatory component of the Styrofoam pilot and will help UBC work with our suppliers to reduce Styrofoam packaging. Lab managers or purchasers must fill out this form prior to launching Styrofoam Recycling in their building.

2. Email Templates
   Directly contact suppliers using our email templates to request no Styrofoam packaging or to praise suppliers that already use alternative packaging or make the change to a more sustainable option.

   Note: Sending feedback emails to suppliers is an optional component of the Styrofoam pilot.

Styrofoam Recycling

To participate in the Styrofoam Recycling Program, simply collect Styrofoam (EPS) chips and packaging blocks in large clear bags (supplied by the Green Research Committee). Waste Management will collect full bags from the eight locations listed above on a regular pick up schedule and the Styrofoam will be hauled off-campus by WCS Recycling.

Below is a list of what can and cannot be recycled in this program. Click here to see our poster:

If your department/building would like to participate in this program, please contact keely.johnston@ubc.ca