A locally driven initiative is giving new life to one of the Central Coast’s most problematic pollutants: Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), commonly known as Styrofoam.

Heal the Ocean and MarBorg Industries are expanding their EPS recycling program, now able to handle far more material onsite, thanks to the purchase of specialized densifying equipment that compresses foam for more efficient reuse, organizers said.

Since the program began in 2021, it has diverted more than 80,000 pounds of EPS from landfills, preventing it from breaking down into microplastics that pollute waterways and the ocean, according to Heal the Ocean.

The EPS recycling program is the only one in the region between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and represents an innovative nonprofit-business partnership that started with identifying a problem and working together to tackle it.

Beginning modestly, with Heal the Ocean gathering loose foam and storing it in their back office, the program has evolved and expanded. Now Santa Barbara and Goleta community members and businesses can drop off clean foam packaging at two local MarBorg facilities.

Once compressed, the material is sent to manufacturers and transformed into products such as picture frames, home molding, and other construction and packaging items, turning a waste problem into a resource.

“Having a local densifier means that compression of the foam can happen on-site instead of being trucked off-site, reducing program emissions by more than 70%,” Heal the ocean said.

“Expanded polystyrene is one of the most destructive materials entering our oceans,” said Karina Johnston, executive director of Heal the Ocean.

“By investing in densifying equipment and expanding our program, we can now recycle more foam than ever before, keeping it out of landfills, preventing plastic pollution in the ocean, and turning it into something useful for the community,” Johnston said.

EPS foam is difficult to recycle through conventional curbside programs due to its lightweight, bulky nature, according to Heal the Ocean. Without dedicated collection and processing, most EPS ends up in landfills, where it occupies large volumes of space, or escapes into the environment where it breaks into harmful microplastics.

The Central Coast relies heavily on the Tajiguas Landfill, which is already under pressure from growing waste volumes, Heal the Ocean officials said. Diverting bulky materials like EPS reduces landfill strain and keeps coastal ecosystems healthier.

Since 2021, community participation has been robust and is currently growing substantially, reflecting strong local demand for responsible recycling solutions.

With the new densifying equipment, MarBorg can now process all foam onsite, making the program more efficient and scalable while strengthening its environmental benefits.

“As a family-owned company serving the Central Coast for more than 75 years, we see it as part of our responsibility to help the community manage waste in smarter, more sustainable ways,” said Brian Borgatello, president of MarBorg Industries.

“This partnership with Heal the Ocean is an example of innovation in action: we’re compressing foam that was previously difficult to handle, and now it’s being recycled into beneficial products.” he said,

The EPS recycling program is part of a long-standing collaboration between the nonprofit and MarBorg.

Heal the Ocean continues to focus on reducing plastic pollution at its source, including advising on local and statewide policies, while MarBorg has provided infrastructure and operational expertise to make community recycling solutions practical.

“Protecting our coastlines starts with practical solutions like this,” Johnston said. “Every pound of foam we divert is one less pound that can fragment into microplastics, harm wildlife, or travel through storm drains to our beaches and ocean.”

Residents and businesses are encouraged to bring clean, dry EPS foam to participating MarBorg facilities. Clean foam can be dropped off at the downtown Santa Barbara MarBorg facility, 132 Nopalitos Way, or in Goleta at 20 David Love Place.

To donate to the program, visit www.healtheocean.org.

Founded in 1998, Heal the Ocean is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit focused on reducing ocean pollution and providing science-based solutions to improve the health of our ocean and resilience of our coasts to benefit people and wildlife.

MarBorg Industries is a family-owned waste management and recycling company serving the Central Coast with collection, recycling, and environmental services.