Styrofoam waste always troubles us in our daily life. We sometimes see volunteers with uniforms collecting Styrofoam waste at recycling sites. Have you ever considered being a volunteer? And are you familiar with the work of volunteers? In McHenry County, Styrofoam recycling program is seeking for volunteers to help. The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County now recruit volunteers at its Crystal Lake site. Let’s get closer to what volunteers should do for Styrofoam recycling.



According to officials in McHenry County, after a handful of volunteers retired, this place needs extra help to continue the Styrofoam recycling program. As residents can drop off their waste on certain dates, volunteers also work regularly. Each week there are two shifts available for volunteers, they will drive to the recycling sites and start working. During the working hour, volunteers should finish collecting Styrofoam waste, sorting recyclable Styrofoam, and breaking the Styrofoam into small pieces. Of course, volunteers should sweep the site after finishing work.



The work of volunteers is quite important. However, there are still many “behind-the-scenes” things to do. The fact is that sometimes we have to face the lack of staff, like in McHenry County. That is why more and more recycling sites now apply machines to improve the Styrofoam recycling process since machines can release much of the human job and achieve automation. Styrofoam recycling machines like Styrofoam compactors will be used to compress the collected Styrofoam, making it easier to transport and restore. The compressed Styrofoam blocks can be sold to manufacturers to make new products. GREENMAX offered recycling machines to some local recycling centers for public benefit. 



Most volunteers have their friends and family members join them in recycling work. Glad to see that so many people are taking part in Styrofoam recycling. It not only gathers more power for the recycling career but also raises people’s awareness of environmental protection. As individuals, we can learn more about the whole recycling process, which is meaningful to ourselves. As businesses, offering help to recycling activities is also a kind of volunteering. As recycling centers, combining the work of humans and machines can achieve better recycling.