‘Buried in foam’: New technology changes how foam is recycled in Saskatchewan

SARCAN is making more room for styrofoam by squeezing it down to a fraction of its size.

A new densifier in Saskatoon is processing foam collected from 73 SARCAN depots across the province, marking the first time the technology has been used as part of a household recycling program in Saskatchewan.

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The $300,000 densifier was a joint investment by SK Recycles and SARCAN. Since collection began in 2024, residents have recycled more than 50 tonnes of the material.

Director of post-collection with SK Recycles, Kelly Goyer, said styrofoam presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to recycling because it is lightweight and takes up significant space during transportation and storage.

“This can create logistical and economic challenges within recycling systems,” Goyer said.

The foam densifier compresses large volumes of foam into dense blocks that are easier to handle, store and ship.

The densified foam is then sent to Quebec, where it is turned into foam insulation boards.

“The new densifier strengthens Saskatchewan’s ability to recycle foam efficiently, and it helps ensure valuable materials remain part of a circular economy in Saskatchewan,” Goyer said, calling the project an “incredible success.”

Before foam collection began in the province, Goyer said individual municipalities were responsible for deciding whether to accept styrofoam, noting the decision was based on whether recycling providers had access to markets capable of processing the material.

“That was largely not the case in Saskatchewan,” Goyer said. “Prior to 2024, it was really not a material that was being successfully recycled.”

Today, Goyer said Saskatchewan residents have better access to recycling options, making it “much more convenient to just bring that foam in somewhere where you’re probably going anyway.”

Prior to the installation of the densifier, SARCAN officials say they were “buried in foam.” (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)

“Even if it’s just a little bit from each household, collectively through partnerships and through the efforts of Saskatchewan residents, it becomes a significant amount of material that we can actually move to an end market and have it reused.”

SARCAN Director of System Operations Sean Collins said Saskatchewan residents wanted a way to recycle materials they previously didn’t know what to do with or may have otherwise sent to the landfill.

Collins said SARCAN was “overwhelmed with the sort of overnight success” that came from the introduction of the foam densifier.

“We were buried in foam, which made this sort of investment and this extension of the partnership so critical,” he said.