Styrofoam recycling is once again available to residents at the Tacoma Recycle Center (3510 S. Mullen St.). The City’s Solid Waste utility recently installed a new Styrofoam densifier, which means residents can drop off accepted Styrofoam packaging materials for free recycling at the Tacoma Recycle Center.
“We owe it to our future generations to lead by example and make our city cleaner,” said Mayor Anders Ibsen. “Re-opening our Styrofoam densifier is a practical step forward in reducing waste and strengthening our recycling efforts.”
The previous densifier had been out of service since 2022 due to recurring mechanical issues. After evaluating repair options, staff determined that replacing the densifier entirely was the most reliable and cost-effective long-term solution.
“I have been eagerly awaiting the return of our ability to recycle Styrofoam, and I am thrilled that our densifier machine is back in operation,” said At-Large Council Member Kristina Walker. “Our community cares deeply about reducing our waste by finding ways to recycle and reuse items. I have no doubt that our community will be very pleased that we are now able to keep Styrofoam out of our landfill. I want to give a huge thank you to our amazing City of Tacoma Solid Waste staff who worked diligently to restore this important service.”
“Styrofoam blocks are used to package so many products today and bringing back our ability to recycle Styrofoam is a huge win for Tacoma,” said District 1 Council Member John Hines. “Our residents are avid recyclers, and they have waited a long time for this service to return. Keeping Styrofoam out of our landfill is vital and I invite all our residents to drop off Styrofoam blocks at the Tacoma Recycle Center to help keep our city clean, healthy, and beautiful for many years to come.”
“I’m really glad to see this service return,” said District 2 Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh. “People want to do the right thing with their waste, and Styrofoam packaging shows up in everyday life without a clear path for what to do with it. Having the machine up and running again makes it much easier to put that material to good use. I’ve already been to the transfer station to try it out, and it’s a great resource for our community as we work to phase out Styrofoam usage.”
Residents can drop off clean block Styrofoam, including rigid foam packaging blocks, Styrofoam coolers, and packaging sheets. Packing peanuts, Styrofoam food containers, and dirty or contaminated foam are not accepted.
Once collected, the material is processed on-site through the densifier, which compresses the foam into solid blocks. These blocks are then transported to a recycling facility in Kent, Wash., where the material is prepared for manufacturing into new products.
More information about this and other items accepted for recycling in Tacoma is available at tacoma.gov/recycle.