TOLEDO, Ohio — A local nonprofit setting up Toledoans for success in the present is also working to protect the environment in the future with community support.
Several studies have shown that Styrofoam does not break down quickly when put into landfills, with one study estimating it takes over 500 years for Styrofoam to break down.
With the alarmingly slow rate of decomposition, nonprofit Lott Industries Inc. decided to make efforts to recycle what it could in terms of waste from polystyrene foam, also known by the brand name Styrofoam.
Lott Industries already has an impact on the community, providing services to people with developmental disabilities or other barriers to employment. The nonprofit isn't just bettering the people in the community; through recycling, it's bettering the environment we live in.
Since 2022, Lott Industries has been collecting and breaking down old Styrofoam to use in recycling purposes. Lott's CEO Tim Menke noted how around the world about 30% of landfill space is taken up by Styrofoam waste.
Although Lott Industries is the only business in a 60-mile radius that recycles class 6 Styrofoam, Menke said he's still happy someone is doing the necessary work.
"Lott Industries is always about not only helping our people, but helping the community as well," Menke said. "We've kept a Sears Tower-worth of Styrofoam out of the Toledo Landfill, which is wonderful."
To further collection efforts, Lott Industries has partnered with the city of Toledo's Clean Toledo recycling events, several area businesses, and the Church of St. Andrew UMC.
Paul Wood, with the Church of St. Andrew, said it's necessary to get more people involved in the recycling efforts and that the church has been reaching out to the community.
"It hit me, this fits into the mission statement of our church: 'compassionately connect with our community,'" Wood said. "I'm here today to show others how they can replicate what we did, and compress it from a few months to a few weeks."
Wood speaks with local businesses like Walt Churchill's Market, block watch groups, Toledo Public Schools, Boy Scouts of America and local car dealerships. He said promoting proper recycling of Styrofoam practices while sharing the church's Styrofoam collection model can be easily replicated, allowing more waste to stay out of landfills.
To learn more about this project, contact Tim Menke, CEO of Lott Industries at 419-276-4658 or by email at tmenke@lottserves.org.
