The Franklin County Solid Waste Management District is collaborating with the towns of Leverett, Montague, Northfield and Warwick next month to hold special recycling collections for blocky Styrofoam packing material.

The collections, which are open only to residents of Leverett, Montague (all five villages), Northfield and Warwick, will take place each Saturday in April from 9 a.m. to noon. The event locations are: the Leverett Transfer Station, 5 Cemetery Road, Leverett; the Montague Transfer Station, 11 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls; the Northfield Transfer Station, 31 Caldwell Road, Northfield; and the Warwick Transfer Station, Garage Road, Warwick.

These special recycling collections will only accept white blocky packing material and coolers made of expanded polystyrene foam (EPS or PS No. 6), commonly known as Styrofoam. Volunteers at the collection sites will review the materials that each resident brings and may reject unacceptable items.

The Franklin County Solid Waste Management District advises that foam items must be clean and dry. Additionally, before bringing materials to the collection, residents will need to remove any tape, labels, cardboard or wood.

These collections will not accept food-related Styrofoam items such as cups, plates, bowls, trays, egg cartons or takeout containers.

Other items that will not be accepted include: wet/dirty materials, No. 4 (LDPE) foam packaging material, foam insulation board (XPS) or packing peanuts. The UPS Store in Greenfield accepts clean, dry packing peanuts for reuse, according to the waste management district.

A transfer station permit is not required for these special collections, nor is advance registration. However, the waste management district advises that space is limited and the collection program will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

This effort builds on the success of the April 2024 collection, where events in four towns together diverted 170 cubic yards of foam from the landfill, according to the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District. Materials collected at these events are recycled at Gold Circuit E-Cycling in Agawam. The foam is densified and ultimately recycled into picture frames, molding or building insulation. MI-BOX Moving & Mobile Storage also supports this project with discounted rates.

For more information, contact the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District’s office at info@franklincountywastedistrict.org or 413-772-2438.