Another resident whose son worked in a facility where they were disposing enormous amounts of Styrofoam asked if Hudson could recycle Styrofoam. The BP rep said “yes” on the spot! Hallelujah! It was that simple. But, not so simple, putting it into action—doing it right.
I’d been a volunteer at the transfer station going back 20 years. It was still called “the dump”! Over time I’d seen so much Styrofoam being thrown away. Horrible. It’s never going to degrade in the landfill. If you burn it, it releases terrible toxic gases. Back then I was working in a facility that disposed lots of Styrofoam and I’d found a guy in Framingham who was recycling it. Once a month I would load up my husband’s car and make two or three trips to get rid of all the Styrofoam I’d saved from work. That was how I learned what goes into the process. So when BP agreed to Styrofoam recycling I went to them and said, “I know how to do this right and I want to help“.



They agreed to pay for the large trailer we’d need to hold the Styrofoam, and keep it clean and dry. Also, they pay for the plastic bags we pack it into. They also cover half the price of transporting it every few months to Gold Circuit, the Agawam Styrofoam recycling facility. Grant money we get from the state covers the other half.



LM: What happens to the Styrofoam once it gets to Agawam?



JG: The good news is that there’s currently a huge market for clean Styrofoam that can be upcycled into new products. A lot of the rigid plastics you see are made from recycled plastic with a Styrofoam component—pens, picture frames, outdoor furniture. Gold Circuit says they can’t get enough.



LM: So turns out getting the town to recycle Styrofoam wasn’t difficult, but keeping it going requires infrastructure and ongoing volunteers.

JG: Yes on both counts, which explains why so few towns are doing this. You can’t just have a bin that says “Styrofoam”. It’s got to be clean, no markings, no labels, no tape, no food containers at all. And only white #6 or #4. So there’s got to be someone to monitor and help receive it. We can always use more volunteers —whether it’s for Styrofoam, or monitoring the other bins. C’mon down! We can use you.



LM: It’s really easy to fall into despair these days, and even with recycling, people can be so complacent. What keeps you going and gives you hope?

JG: My new mission is more toward reuse. That’s why I love the Swap Shed. It makes me happy to see something that otherwise would’ve gone into a landfill being carried away by someone with a big smile on their face. But also, it’s the people I see who are working hard as volunteers. I also volunteer at Fresh Start the furniture bank that gives used household goods a second life by giving them to families in need. There’s a tremendous dedicated team there. Just like our committed Transfer Station volunteers! Hudson now has textile recycling because of people from Green Hudson who got involved to help make that happen. There are a lot of people working hard doing a lot of good. I say, “Keep fighting the fight. Look to 

the people around you who are doing good 

and know you are not alone out there. Don’t give up.”



LM: You mentioned you’ve been a volunteer at the Transfer Station going back 20 years when it really was the “dump”, just a place to dump anything and everything. A lot has changed and I think we have people like you and the many volunteers and civic minded citizens you’ve referred to, to thank for it. So, thanks very much for all you do.

JG: You’re very welcome. Glad to do it.