Dublin is considering whether to join 27 other New Hampshire towns in a statewide Styrofoam recycling program and will host a trial foam collection event on Saturday, Jan. 31, with a snow date of Feb. 7.
The trial is being organized by the Dublin Waste Reduction and Recycling Committee as the town evaluates the feasibility and cost of participating in the program, which uses Gilford as a regional hub for processing expanded polystyrene or EPS, commonly known as Styrofoam.
On Saturday, Jan. 17, Gilford Director of Public Works Meghan Theriault presented information on the town’s plastic waste reduction efforts to residents from Dublin, Peterborough and Harrisville at Dublin’s Town Community Center. The presentation focused on Foam Cycle’s foam densifier, a machine that removes air from #6 plastic foam and melts it down, making it recyclable.
Foam Cycle describes itself as a recycling company pioneering a closed-loop system to address what it calls the “foam problem.”
“Foam packaging and food service foam is one of the most plentiful yet least recycled plastics in existence today,” according to the website.
“Right now, Gilford serves as a hub for foam recycling,” Theriault said. She added that because of its high cost, the equipment needed to recycle foam isn’t widely used across the state.
According to Theriault, recycling and transfer stations from 27 different towns transport collected #6 foam to Gilford, where it is processed through the densifier. The foam is first collected in large bags, loaded onto trucks and transported to the hub, where it is sorted to ensure it meets processing requirements.
“Gilford is a one-and-one-half-hour drive from Dublin. We can only afford to rent a truck for transportation once this year,” Dublin Waste Reduction and Recycling Committee member May Clark said.
“When the foam goes through the densifier, it comes out in a tube shape. The material is stacked on top of itself, forming what we call an ingot,” Theriault said.
She explained that three bags of foam typically produce one ingot weighing between 40 and 50 pounds. Towns can expect to earn between $500 and $550 per ton of foam ingots.
Foam Cycle’s website states that its foam densifiers reduce the volume of collected EPS Foam by a ratio of 90-1 with hourly processing rates ranging from 50 to 300 pounds per hour, depending on the model.
According to Theriault, the densifier has made processing foam more efficient and cost-effective.
“While the machine itself cost $90,000, we were able to get $113,750 in grant money to fund the purchase,” she said. Since purchasing the machine, Gilford has realized a net savings of $15,000. “We are able to save $5,000 a year in transportation costs and make $10,000 a year from selling the ingots,” she said.
Theriault said when the ingots are sold they’re repurposed for plastic molds, decking materials and other uses.
The transportation savings stem from the reduction in volume, according to Theriault. “Foam takes up a lot of space in its original form,” she said, “but the densified foam allows us to load our trucks up with an additional 1.5 tons for transportation, reducing the number of trips we need to take.”
Peterborough and Harrisville are among the 27 towns using Gilford as their foam recycling hub.
Harrisville Recycling Committee member Mary Armstrong said Harrisville hosts a yearly foam collection event. “Last summer our four collection bags ran out of space, so this year we’ll have six of them,” she said. “Each year we get more foam.”
Susan Garcia, a sworn member of Peterborough’s Recycling Committee said that 2025 was the first year the town started using Gilford as a processing hub.
“Our collection system involves a large bag outside of an office window that is shielded by an overhanging roof that protects it from the weather,” Garcia said. “On a regular schedule, Peterborough Transfer Station staff bring 12 collection bags of Styrofoam to Gilford Transfer Station every Wednesday.”
Garcia said that December presented challenges due to weather and holiday disruptions, resulting in foam being temporarily stored.
Dublin’s foam collection day will be for Dublin residents only.