Western Springs was hosting its first Styrofoam collection in about six months and the hundreds of people who turned out showed how many conscientious recyclers live in the area. Some Western Springs residents just walked from their homes carrying bags of Styrofoam take-out food containers, egg cartons and packing material for recycling, but other people drove over from La Grange, La Grange Park, Indian Head Park, Oak Brook, Darien, Willowbrook, Elmhurst and Oak Park.
Wendy Vichick, a member of the Community Green Team, polled the drivers as they pulled up to the Recreation Center garage and learned they lived in 27 different towns. She counted at least 412 vehicles during the collection Saturday morning, which continued past its scheduled noon end time, because of the number of cars. “People have saved their Styrofoam all summer,” said Sue Klein, who co-chaired the collection.