Washington, D.C. – The Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA), a North American coalition advancing scalable solutions to recycle polystyrene (PS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS), today announced a new partnership with Circular Colorado, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building circular economies across Colorado and the surrounding region. The initiative will expand access to EPS recycling across the state by integrating it into an existing collection and transportation network.
The partnership is designed to develop replicable, statewide collection models for post-use EPS generated from a variety of applications and transport it to existing end markets.
To enable this recycling breakthrough, the partnership will leverage the Circular Transportation Network (CTN), an innovative system developed by Circular Colorado for the Circular Economy Development Center (CEDC). The CTN collects and transports recyclable materials from rural and underserved communities to central processing hubs, helping overcome barriers commonly faced by small-scale EPS generators, including low material volume, high transportation costs, and lack of hauling infrastructure. EPS collected through this network will be transported to a facility along Colorado’s Front Range, where it will be aggregated, densified, and shipped to end markets for reuse.
“This partnership represents a major milestone for the circularity of expanded polystyrene,” said Richard Shaw, Chair of the Polystyrene Recycling Alliance. “By working with Circular Colorado, we’re connecting previously overlooked materials to existing recycling infrastructure. We’re proving that EPS is not just recyclable in theory—it’s recyclable in practice, at scale, and with viable end markets.”
As part of the initiative, Circular Colorado will engage its existing municipal and commercial partners while expanding outreach to additional communities that generate the targeted types of EPS. This engagement will include identifying and addressing local barriers to participation, such as the need for collection bins, densification equipment, or staff training. Where infrastructure gaps are identified, Circular Colorado will support communities in pursuing grant opportunities.
“Our mission is to build inclusive, efficient circular systems—and this partnership helps make that real,” said Laurie Johnson, Founder and CEO of Circular Colorado. “With PSRA’s support, we can scale EPS recycling where it makes the most sense—focusing on the types of EPS that are clean, consistent, and commercially viable. Together, we’re showing that recyclable materials like EPS can have a place in the circular economy when you bring the right partners and infrastructure together.”
This collaboration marks the latest step in PSRA’s broader strategy to build stakeholder confidence, expand end markets, and secure polystyrene’s role in a circular economy through infrastructure investment and strategic partnerships.
ABOUT THE POLYSTYRENE RECYCLING ALLIANCE
The Polystyrene Recycling Alliance (PSRA) is a coalition that unites the entire polystyrene (PS) and expandable polystyrene (EPS) value chain to promote circularity for polystyrene products across North America. It’s a self-funded initiative of the PLASTICS Industry Association. To learn more, visit www.PSRecycling.org.
ABOUT CIRCULAR COLORADO
Circular Colorado’s mission is to establish circular economies in Colorado by attracting and growing companies along the circular supply chain; and developing solutions for businesses and local communities to overcome barriers for entry into the circular economy. www.circularcolorado.org
ABOUT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT CENTER
The Circular Economy Development Center is funded through the Colorado Circular Communities Enterprise and is designed and operated by Circular Colorado. Its mission is to grow and create markets for recycled commodities and facilitate necessary infrastructure, systems, logistics, and marketing to create a sustainable circular economy in Colorado. www.coloradocedc.org
