Styrofoam — the lightweight, spongy material that keeps your coffee hot, your meat fresh, and your new TV from breaking in the box — is a familiar sight in homes and businesses. But when it comes to recycling in Montreal, it’s not all created equal.
The City of Montreal is reminding residents that some types of Styrofoam, officially called polystyrene, can go into your recycling bin, while others cannot. Understanding the difference is key to keeping the city’s recycling stream clean and efficient.
What’s accepted in your recycling bin
Some Styrofoam products are recyclable through the city’s curbside program. These include:
- Food trays — such as the yellow trays used for meat or fish.
- Hot and cold beverage cups — including the type used for takeout coffee or cold drinks.
If they’re clean and free of food residue, you can place these directly into your household recycling bin.
What’s not accepted — and why
Other types of Styrofoam cause problems in sorting facilities and should never go in the recycling bin. The most common example is protective packaging foam — the large, white blocks used to keep electronics or appliances safe in their boxes.
These pieces are easy to identify: when broken, they crumble into small, bead-like particles. At recycling plants, these beads scatter, contaminate other materials, and jam sorting machinery.
Where to take non-accepted styrofoam
While protective packaging foam can’t go in the recycling bin, it can still be recycled — just not from the curb. The City of Montreal directs residents to bring these materials to specialized drop-off points:
- LaSalle Ecocentre – 7272 Saint-Patrick Street, LaSalle
- Saint-Laurent Ecocentre – 3535 Sartelon Street, Saint-Laurent
These ecocentres have the equipment and processes to recycle polystyrene packaging properly.
Why this matters locally
In neighbourhoods like Parc-Extension, where space is tight, turnover in apartments is high, and businesses frequently receive shipments of goods, proper sorting is especially important. Every yellow meat tray or coffee cup placed correctly in the recycling bin — and every block of packaging foam sent to an ecocentre instead — helps keep the recycling system running smoothly.
The city offers recycling guides in multiple languages, making it easier for Montreal’s diverse communities to understand and follow the rules. The full list of accepted and refused materials, along with ecocentre hours and conditions, is available on Montreal’s official waste management website.
The takeaway
Before tossing Styrofoam, take a moment to identify which kind you have. If it’s a food or beverage container, it can go into your recycling bin. If it’s protective packaging, set it aside for your next trip to an ecocentre.
It’s a small step that has a big impact — reducing contamination, improving efficiency, and helping Montreal meet its environmental goals.
