VANCOUVER, WASH. -- Approximately 275 people dropped off 3,000 pounds of polystyrene foam on Jan. 5, at the first recycling event of the year in Clark County, Wash.
Jim Mansfield, a sustainability specialist with Clark County Environmental Services, coordinates multiple recycling events at various sites throughout the year.
Each year at these events, the county collects up to 250,000 pounds of hazardous waste and recyclable materials, averaging at around 3,000 pounds of recyclables per event, Mansfield said in an article in Oregon Live.
The county budgets about $150,000 every two years for the mobile collection events.
The collection efforts are focused on bringing in hazardous materials such as paint, batteries, oil, pesticides, block foam, electronic products and unused prescription medications.
Environmental Services focuses on collecting materials like oil because it can be reused. The county also works with nonprofit groups to recycle or refurbish donated material, the newspaper reported.
County officials chose to hold the polystyrene foam recycling event in January because the material is thrown out at a higher rate following Christmas, Mansfield said.
