Checking Out a Densifier on Whidbey Island

On the last day of June, Pete and Eric from ORS/The Exchange traveled to Whidbey Island to meet the team at Repurpose Whidbey, an innovative recycling company that focuses on hard-to-recycle materials like Styrofoam. They were kind enough not only to show us their RecycleTech XT-200 densifier in action, but also to let us operate it ourselves.

The machine is surprisingly simple to use. Styrofoam is fed into the top, where it is shredded and then compressed in a heated, pressurized chamber, reducing its volume by at least a 50:1 ratio.

One of our concerns was Styrofoam dust and lightweight particles escaping during the process. The crew at Repurpose Whidbey had solved that problem with a clever addition—a standard over-the-range kitchen exhaust fan. They also encouraged us to wear N95 masks, which we gladly did.

Another concern was the potential for fumes. Although the densifier was operating outdoors, we noticed very little odor or emissions during the nearly 45 minutes we ran the machine.

In that time, we processed a small storage unit full of loose Styrofoam and produced only about one cubic foot of dense, compressed plastic.

We came away impressed. More importantly, we left convinced that a densifier would be a critical addition to The Exchange if we are going to continue accepting Styrofoam from the public.

Here’s How You Can Help

We are now in discussions with RecycleTech about purchasing an XT-200 and have begun raising the funds to make it happen. We already have some generous pledges, but we still need your help reaching our goal of $40,000, which will cover the machine, a ventilation system, and installation.

Every donation brings us one step closer to keeping even more Styrofoam out of the landfill. Thank you for your support!