Austin-Southwest Rotary Club's Fight Against Styrofoam Waste

The Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest hosts a monthly Styrofoam collection and cleaning event, addressing environmental concerns and offering a convenient disposal method for the community.

"If you look around, there's a lot of need. Our primary objective is giving to the community because we believe there are things with bigger purposes than just us... Environmental issues should be on everyone's radar." - Holly De Leon, board director

The Styrofoam Project:

• Launched in October by club VP, Beth Long.
• Aims to simplify Styrofoam disposal, as it cannot be recycled with cardboard/paper and takes 500 years to decompose.
• Since its inception, the project has collected >500 pounds of Styrofoam, a substantial amount considering its lightweight nature.
• The club's volunteers receive Styrofoam, clean it, and transport it to the city's Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center.

City of Austin's Role:

• The city purchases equipment to recycle Styrofoam, preventing its landfill disposal.
• The recycling process involves chopping, heating, and liquefying Styrofoam into dense blocks used for building materials, insulation, and more.
• scheduling a drop-off, address, material type, and date/time are required.

Event Details:

• The club sets up a booth near the Sustainable Food Center Market at the Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road, on the first Saturday of each month, typically from 9 AM - 1 PM, except during summer (9 AM - 12 PM).
• Upcoming dates: Sept. 7, Oct. 5, and Nov. 2.

About Rotary International:
The Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest is part of the global Rotary International network, with ~7 other clubs in Austin. Rotary International's 1.4 million members are dedicated to environmental protection, peace promotion, disease prevention, clean water access, education support, and local economic development, embodying the motto, "Service above self."