Styrofoam Updates

ALL STYROFOAM must be placed in the landfill dumpsters.

Styrofoam recycling is a complicated, multifaceted process that is not available to most communities. For several years, UCSC was able to successfully partner with local recycler Grey Bears to recycle styrofoam packaging materials. Unfortunately, as of Winter 2022, Grey Bears no longer has adequate equipment or personnel to keep up with the high demand for styrofoam recycling at UCSC and in our region.

Currently, there are no other options for recycling styrofoam available to our local community. The UCSC Sustainability Office and Grounds department will continue to explore alternate possibilities for processing styrofoam as better recycling options and technology become available in the future.

As always, a much more sustainable option than recycling is REDUCING!

1) Purchase from companies that use alternative materials or have free mail back programs

2) In 2020, the UC Office of the President, issued a system wide ban on non-laboratory related Styrofoam packaging. If you receive a package ordered for university business purposes that comes in foam packaging, please consider sending them this email.