To the editor:

Bainbridge Island Zero Waste, a program of Sustainable Bainbridge, in long-time collaboration with Bay Hay and Feed, just concluded its most successful Styrofoam recycling collection event ever.

Forty-five BIZW volunteers snapped and bagged 6,400 cubic feet of material dropped off by the public over a two-day period. In subsequent months over multiple trips, Bay Hay owner Howard Block will deliver these 90 bags full of lightweight foam to Styro Recycle in Kent, where it will be melted down into 40-pound blocks and sold to a plastics processor as feedstock for picture frames and CD cases. Since Mr. Block drives down on store business, there is no added carbon footprint in disposing of the material.

Zero Waste thanks Mr. Block for this tremendous service to the community, as well as our monetary sponsor, UCB, and T&C Market’s Steve Vadset for readying the gigantic bags used to haul the polystyrene.

Zero Waste is also appreciative of the 300 car drivers, whose donations for this free service averaged more than $2 per vehicle.

Save your Styro (and CDs) for the next semi-annual collection in July, and ask manufacturers to consider more easily recyclable packaging in the future.

DIANE LANDRY

BI Zero Waste Volunteer Director