Tulsa Company Finds A Way To Recycle Styrofoam

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- It's usually white in color, weighs almost nothing and is used for insulation and packing material.

It's polystyrene foam, Styrofoam, and more and more of it is going into our landfills, but a Tulsa company has found a way to recycle it.

A crew will sort through all the trash, and about 75 percent of it will be recycled. They're selling it to businesses that'll turn it into something useful. 

Increasingly, polystyrene foam is being used in building materials, insulation and packaging. They were getting more and more of it at the Harley Hollan Companies yard in Tulsa in loads of trash.

"Comes from furniture stores, packing material, job sites," said Nick Griego of Harley Hollan Companies.

More of it has been going to the landfill, because there was no way to recycle it.

Then Harley Hollan Companies found a machine at a trade show.

"We are the only ones in the state of Oklahoma that is recycling Styrofoam," said Griego.

They've found a company in China that will buy it and turn it back into Styrofoam. The machine grinds it up, and using pressure and heat, extrudes three to five pound patties of formerly weightless Styrofoam. They put them in large bags.

Recycling has become big business. There are more markets for recycled trash, even Styrofoam. It's disgusting looking, but disgustingly good, for the environment.