The EPS Industry Alliance (EPS-IA) presents its First Annual Excellence in EPS Recycling Award to Dart Container. 

Dart Container has been recycling #6 foam since 1990. In 2008, however, Dart ramped up their recycling efforts by creating a new position dedicated to creating recycling programs. With the City of Los Angeles’ new residential curbside program for foam foodservice and protective packaging serving as a model, Dart began exploring ways to make sorting at material recovery facilities (MRF’s) more efficient.

By investing in densifiers and working with densifier manufacturers, Dart was able to identify equipment that made foam processing at MRF’s less labor intensive, less space consuming and more efficient. To ensure there were sustainable markets for foam, Dart also worked with reclaimers to make sure they could use the material. Today, more than 65 cities in California have access to curbside recycling for polystyrene.

In addition to curbside recycling, Dart has installed recycling drop-off locations at 18 operated facilities or plants – which include locations in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and the United States. Dart has also partnered with numerous community centers on recycling drop-offs for foam. These drop-off locations provide ample opportunity for local schools, community recyclers, supermarkets, hospitals, manufacturing plants, cafeterias and individuals to recycle their foam products. A wide variety of city and county organizations have partnered with Dart and are committed to polystyrene recycling, including the City of Baltimore.

Dart is proud to continue its environmental stewardship by providing services for communities to responsibly recycle foam products.  View Dart's acceptance speech for the 2013 EPS Excellence in EPS Recycling Award.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

We would like to recognize the following programs and companies for their foam recycling efforts:

• CITY OF BALTIMORE
• CLP TECHNOLOGIES - INSULFOAM
• ECO SIX - RAPAC
• NUTRISYSTEM - FOAM FABRICATORS, INC.
• OMAHA STEAKS - ACH FOAM TECHNOLOGIES
• STYRORECYCLE
• WASTE TO WAVES
• WHIRLPOOL - SONOCO PROTECTIVE SOLUTIONS 

Learn more about the 2013 Honorable Mentions and their contribution to EPS recycling.

2013 JUDGES

Thank you to our exeptional 2013 judging panel:

NINA GOODRICH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GreenBlue
Nina is an internationally recognized leader in the packaging industry with expertise in sustainability, innovation, and organizational development. Nina is currently Executive Director of GreenBlue, a nonprofit that equips business with the science and resources to make products more sustainable. She was previously Program Director for PAC NEXT in Toronto, which strives towards a "world without packaging waste." Goodrich also founded consultancy Sustainnovation Solutions to inspire industry to understand the opportunity side of sustainability and the role it can play in re-inventing competitive corporate strategy.

MATT MCKENNA, PRESIDENT & CEO, Keep America Beautiful 
Matthew M. McKenna joined Keep America Beautiful Inc., in January 2008 as President and CEO of the country’s largest community improvement organization supported by more than 1,200 affiliates and participating organizations in nearly 50 states. Matt is leading the transformation of KAB with bold initiatives in the areas of waste reduction & recycling, litter prevention and beautification including breakthrough work in community revitalization -- all while expanding support and increasing recognition for the 60-year-old non-profit organization. A graduate of Georgetown Law School, Matt is an active director of Foot Locker, Inc. and is also chairman of the Board of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the Fordham University Law School.

LISA MCTIGUE PIERCE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, Packaging Digest
Veteran packaging journalist Lisa McTigue Pierce is the Executive Editor of Packaging Digest, "The Voice of the Packaging Community"/ She started her packaging media career in 1982 and, over the years, has worked with Package Engineering magazine. She also had a brief stint with consumer insights leader Iconoculture to help the company launch its new Global Packaging Advisory Service in 2009 before returning to the her first love: the packaging media market.

PATTY MOORE, PRESIDENT & CEO, Moore Recycling Associates Inc.
Patty founded Moore Recycling Associates in 1989 while she was completing her M.S. in Resource Management and Administration from the University of Antioch-New England’s Environmental Studies Department. In 1994, the Plastic Recycling Corporation of California contracted with Moore Recycling Associates to manage the day-to-day operations of PRCC; Patricia serves as Executive Director and manages all PRCC’s business operations. Ms. Moore was a participant in a Department of Commerce, Plastics Trade and Investment Mission to China and strives to advance the number and type of materials collected for recycling on both a local and global scale. 

ABOUT THE AWARD