Take out containers (clamshells), cups (without paper labels), bowls (that individual servings of beans, potato salad & slaw come in), etc., can be any color as long as they are "CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!"

"Clean" means no remaining FOOD, DRINK OR DIRT. What was in the cup or on the plate is unknown.

Stained items are "clean" if you can rub your thumb over the stained area and your thumb doesn't look shiny afterward. Some items may just need to be wiped with a napkin (sandwich crumbs). Others may need soap & water (chips and dip, spaghetti, refried beans, etc.).

We cannot put dirty foam in the densifier. It contaminates all other clean foam and makes it worthless. It makes the densifier sticky which causes crumbled foam to clump up and jam the machine.

A Reminder: Foam packaging or food service products "break or snap in two" when bent. If foam bends, it's #4 plastic, not the #6 that can be recycled through densifying. Packaging foam must have all TAPE and PAPER LABELS REMOVED before recycling. Some foam may have cardboard backing that also needs to be removed.

"Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)," the #6 in the recycle triangle found on plastic containers, and named "Styrofoam" by its inventor, the Dow Chemical Corporation, is a known carcinogen if eaten, burned in incinerators, or left to leach into the soil by placing it in the landfill instead of being recycled. It will essentially remain, crushed, dirty and broken, 500 years from now; It doesn't decompose. The cup you drank your morning coffee from will remain in the environment "forever."

"Foam" wreaks havoc on the environment. One of the main concerns is that it's not biodegradable and therefore takes up a lot of space in landfills, which adds to the pollution problem. If littered, EPS foam sometimes breaks into smaller pieces that are more difficult to clean up. Another argument against EPS foam is that it's made from nonrenewable fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals, which can also contribute to pollution. EPS foam sometimes makes its way into waterways and can have disastrous effects on animals that may confuse it for food or nesting material.

In 2019, coalition of local churches called "Churches Caring for Creation," decided to work together to develop a program with the goal of safely recycling #6 plastic. This goal has spread to the public collection of foam in 6 central Oklahoma communities.

The foam logs are placed on pallets and stored under a protective cover because plastic deteriorates when exposed to light. (Think about plastic outdoor furniture left out in the sun.)

A major national plastics recycler has expressed interest in securing our densified logs. They will sell and transport the foam to manufacturers who make new items from recycled foam. Some of these items include picture frames, crown molding and decorative trim for ships, motor homes and airplanes in which keeping weight to a minimum is beneficial.

It’s more economical to make new foam items from recycled foam than using virgin chemicals. Any proceeds of this sale will be returned to the foam densifying program to pay for equipment, gasoline, and densifying supplies.

A "Styro-Station" where foam can be dropped off for safe recycling is located at:

University Lutheran Church & Student Center

914 Elm (1ST block south of Lindsey)

*Styro-Station is easily accessed off the church parking lot located on College, behind the church.

Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A drop-off box is placed outside the door if the office is closed.

Items to recycle include foodservice containers and packaging foam, but no packaging peanuts. Because all foam must be "clean,Clean, CLEAN" to densify into

solid plastic logs, all items brought to recycle must be grease-free, food and drink-free, and have tape and paper labels removed.

++ Please bring egg cartons WHOLE as they are recycled to a family poultry farmer in Seminole, OK.

Public Libraries in several Central Oklahoma towns are hosting collection/densifying events in 2022. Additional dates will be added as they are scheduled.

(Saturdays from 10 - Noon unless noted otherwise.)

06/04 – Noble Public Library 06/25 – Shawnee Public Library

07/09 – Norman Public Library (Central) 08/06 – Moore Public Library

08/13 – Norman (HHWF) 08/27 – Noble Public Library

09/10 – Newcastle Public Library 10 – Noon

             Blanchard Public Library 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

09/17 – Shawnee Public Library 10/22 – Norman Public Library

11/12 – Norman (HHWF)

1/7/23 – Shawnee Public Library

PDF Printable Foam Flyer

There is an ever-growing need for proper disposal of electronics, and there are not many avenues for residents to do this in an environmentally sound way.

The City of Norman holds two discrete events every year to help with the prevention, control, and abatement of pollution caused by solid waste. One in the Spring and one in the Fall.

The Big Event is the University of Oklahoma's official day of community service! Volunteers participate in this event to show their appreciation to the surrounding community by completing service projects such as painting, yard work, and visiting with the elderly.

Other services projects completed in years past include but are not limited to:

• Distribution of door hangers
• Distribution of recycling stickers
• Park clean ups
• Community clean ups

June 20th - June 26th

National Pollinator Week is a national initiative that offers opportunities to individuals and communities to help restore native habitat, support local pollinator species and the City of Norman will continue to support local, state, and national efforts that protect, restore, and conserve habitat for pollinators, as well as foster a greater connection between residents and wildlife.

The City of Norman is home to many native wildlife and pollinator species such as birds, bees, and insects which keep our environment healthy and biodiverse and the City of Norman recognizes that human health ultimately depends on well-functioning ecosystems and that biodiverse regions can better support food production, healthy soil and air quality and can foster healthy connections between humans and wildlife.

The City of Norman is working to build a healthy, sustainable and wildlife-friendly community that brings the many benefits of nature to all corners of our community.

Pollinators play an important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and in urban communities, pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining sustainable urban agriculture, local community gardens, and residential landscaping. Pollinator species are in decline due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides, causing many species to decline significantly in the past 25 years

Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day to increase environmental awareness and to highlight devastating effects of pollution to our air, water, and soil to the nation; twenty-two (22) million Americans celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Today, Earth Day is recognized as the largest secular observance in the world and celebrated by more than a billion people as a day of action to change human behavior and continue the fight for a clean and healthy environment! We encourage our citizens to make a difference in our community: to think, reduce, reuse, recycle, replenish, restore, refresh, replant, rebuild, repurpose and respect.

• The City of Norman Parks and Recreation, Utilities, and Public Works Departments, in conjunction with community groups across the city, including the Norman Public Library, Cleveland County Master Gardeners, Oklahoma Water Survey, Lake Thunderbird State Park, and others, get together and plan a series of events to celebrate this important milestone.
• March 28th - May 1st, is recognized as Green Norman EcoMonth with free activities and education seminars to he held at various locations across the city.

• American Public Works Association
• COMCD Project
• Earth Month
• Greenovation
• Hazardous Waste Management Advisory
• Institutional Biosafety Committee
• Keep Oklahoma Beautiful
• Nonprofit Tool Box Series
• Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
• Oklahoma Compost Conference
• Oklahoma Conservation Commission
• Oklahoma Municipal League
• Oklahoma Water Environment Association
• Oklahoma Water & Pollution Control Association
• Product Stewardship Institute
• READY FOR 100
• South West American Water Works Association

Coming soon: Installation of two new high-capacity electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot at City Hall located on the northwest corner of Gray Street and Santa Fe Avenue.

• This will allow citizens and visitors utilizing this parking lot to charge their vehicles as they engage in civic activity, conduct business with City departments, visit the post office, and perform other activities.

Click the link to view the Norman Transcript Article: Flight of the honeybees