A new partnership between National Polystyrene Recycling Company (NPRC — Lincolnshire, IL) and Eaglebrook Plastics, Inc. (Chicago, IL) will bring to the metropolitan Chicago area the largest midwestern recycling facility for post consumer foam and rigid polystyrene plastic items.

The facility, located in Chicago, IL, can recycle thirteen million pounds of used polystyrene food service and non-food packaging products annually, such as foam containers, drink cups, plates, utensils, and protective cushion packaging. The plant start-up is expected in May 1991.

NPRC will own the plant. The new facility, to be operated by Eaglebrook Plastics, Inc., will be called Eaglebrook Plastics Operating Company, An NPRC Facility. It will be located at 1700 West 119th St., in Chicago.

Source Development Managers, employed by NPRC, are "on-call" to answer questions and to assist potential sources with setting up collection programs. In addition to foam items, such as lunch trays, sandwich boxes and egg cartons, the plant will accept clear polystyrene such as salad containers. Also, the plant will reprocess polystyrene "block" cushion packaging materials, often used to keep stereo and electronic components safe. The phone number of the plant is (312) 568-1221.

"NPRC and Eaglebrook's decision to locate a thirteen million pound recycling plant in the city will provide Chicago and the Midwest with an opportunity to become a national leader in polystyrene recycling," said Mayor Richard M. Daley.

"We are extremely pleased to have assisted this plant in locating here in Chicago, as it furthers our goal to make Chicago the recycling hub of the Midwest," said Commissioner Joseph J. James of the City's Department of Economic Development.

"I am proud to see an environmentally responsible business come to our community," said Alderman Lemuel Austin Jr. of Chicago's 34th Ward. "NPRC and Eaglebrook's new plant will bring new jobs to the 34th Ward."

NPRC owns Plastics Again (Leominster, Mass.), the nation's first large-scale reprocessor of used polystyrene food service items. In August 1990, NPRC announced a polystyrene recycling facility in Corona, Calif. (TALCO Recycling,'Inc., An NPRC Facility). Both facilities recycle polystyrene from hundreds of schools, restaurants, businesses and other institutions.

"This is a positive step for the environment and for the Midwest United States," said E. James Schneiders, president of NPRC. "We know people here want to recycle polystyrene and we are making that possible. We are pleased that the polystyrene recycling momentum which started on the East and West Coasts and has enjoyed tremendous success has now moved into the Midwest. This is a concrete move toward reaching our goal of seeing food service packaging and other used polystyrene products recycled at a 25 percent annual rate by 1995."

In addition to the Eaglebrook and TALCO facili-

April 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 27

ties, NPRC has also announced plant sites in the San Francisco and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. The new NPRC plants will have the combined capability of recycling over 52 million pounds of protective packaging and food service polystyrene annually.

"This new facility will enable NPRC and Eagle-brook to offer a new option to millions of people in Illinois and in neighboring states to add polystyrene packaging items to their current plastic collection programs," said Andy Stephens, president of Eaglebrook Plastics, Inc. "We're extremely pleased to be a plastics recycler that can purchase post consumer plastic bottles through Eaglebrook Plastics and polystyrene through the new NPRC plant."

NPRC recycling plants are different from other plants around the nation in that NPRC facilities can wash food materials from used polystyrene.

Eaglebrook Plastics Operating Company is a new company affiliated with Eaglebrook Plastics, Inc., of Chicago, IL. The new company represents Eaglebrook Plastics, Inc.'s first venture into volume processing of post-consumer polystyrene materials.

In 1990, Eaglebrook was named to the Inc. 500 list as one of the nation's fastest growing privately held companies. Today, Eaglebrook is considered one of the leaders in post consumer processing of various plastic containers such as HDPE milk jugs and PET soda bottles.

The National Polystyrene Recycling Company was launched in June 1989, and is the nation's first network of polystyrene foam recycling centers. The company's goal of facilitating the recycling of 25 percent of the polystyrene used in food service and other packaging applications annually by 1995, is consistent with the 1989 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's solid waste reduction plan. •

Page 28 / Illinois Municipal Review / April 1991