The Coon Rapids Recycling Center is getting another upgrade to accommodate increased drop-offs of Styrofoam. The Foam Recycling Coalition awarded the recycling center $50,000 to enhance its existing Styrofoam recycling program. The center is one of two in the state that accepts Styrofoam.
Slightly more than half the grant will go toward buying a forklift for the center, and the rest will be saved for any future Styrofoam recycling upgrades as they come up. “The fork lift will make the process easier, faster and more flexible,” Recycling Coordinator Colleen Sinclair said.
The center relies on Public Works to do heavy lifting when it comes to unloading and loading pallets or bringing recyclables to or from semi trucks, but there’s no guarantee that equipment is available to the center to use, Sinclair said. The forklift will allow the center to operate more independently and efficiently, she said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the recycling center has seen an uptick in drop-offs, according to Sinclair. That’s mostly due to people cleaning out their homes during the pandemic, she said.
Sinclair was excited to see people looking for environmentally friendly ways to get rid of their belongings, rather than throwing everything in the trash. “Now people are asking, ‘What’s the best way (to get rid of stuff)?’” Sinclair said. “We’ve been flooded with phone calls and emails asking about items we accept.”