Styrofoam Recycling Program

Dublin’s Styrofoam Recycling Program

The City of Dublin launched a Styrofoam recycling program in partnership with the City of Hilliard in September 2022. This new program will help keep unwanted Styrofoam out of the landfill while also increasing Dublin’s diversion rate.

Dublin community members can now recycle Styrofoam at the 24/7 drop-off site located in the City Service Center parking lot, 6555 Shier Rings Road. There, residents can also drop off organic waste in the green compost bins. E-waste collection bins are available inside the Service Center, which serves as Dublin’s centralized recycling hub.

What Styrofoam Can Be Recycled?

  • We CAN accept: packaging material and foam coolers
  • We CAN’T accept: foam peanuts, construction grade foam (insulation) or food-grade polystyrene. This includes cups, food containers, meat packaging, plates, egg cartons, etc., unless it is new and has never contacted any food or beverage.

All materials must be clean and free of tape, stickers/labels, paper, metal/plastic fasteners and any other contaminants.

What Happens to the Recycled Foam?

While plastic foam is not recyclable through traditional methods, EPS can be recycled through densification. Densifiers remove the air from the Styrofoam, condensing it down to a fraction of its original size. Recycled Styrofoam is commonly used for insulation, picture frames, park benches, coolers, infant car seats and for added protection in sports and motor vehicle helmets.

Partnership with the City of Hilliard

The City of Dublin has partnered with the City of Hilliard to recycle the Styrofoam collected at the Service Center, and Dublin City staff will deliver the materials to Hilliard for densification.

In 2021, the City of Hilliard received a grant from SWACO to purchase Central Ohio’s first densifier. The Runi-brand equipment shreds Styrofoam and then compresses out the air, reducing the volume of the foam by 1/50th of its original volume. Put into perspective, a stack of Styrofoam the size of an SUV can be compressed to the size of one concrete block.

At the City of Hilliard’s first Styrofoam recycling event, more than 250 cars dropped off an estimated 1,800 pounds of EPS; at the City of Hilliard’s Earth Day collection event, they collected more than 4,000 pounds of EPS. Dublin has a diversion rate of 48% of organic and recyclable material, which is significantly higher than the state average of 30%.

The overall goal for both cities is to divert Styrofoam from the trash, saving valuable space in the landfill for material that can’t be recycled or reused. Dublin’s larger vision is to be the model for sustainable community design, zero waste, carbon neutral efforts and supportive of its natural environment while providing diverse living, entertainment and recreational experiences attractive to all.

Public Records Request Overview

In order to support faster response and better tracking of requests, the City of Dublin uses JustFOIA to collect, respond to and manage public information requests.

Why JustFOIA?

JustFOIA is a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) online application that helps streamline the open records request process for the community and improve efficiencies in getting requested information quickly and accurately.

The application lets community members submit requests for all city records, including police reports. Commonly requested information includes accident reports, copies of resolutions and body-camera video.

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Mission

We are and always have been a proud local democracy. In our service, we strive to provide the best quality of life and environment in which our residents and businesses can thrive. We seek to ally our proud traditions with the best innovations of the future.

Vision

Dublin, Ohio, is the most sustainable, connected and resilient global city of choice.

Core Values

Integrity, Respect, Communication, Teamwork, Accountability, Positive Attitude & Dedication to Service.

The City of Dublin operates under a set of seven key core values: integrity, respect, communication, teamwork, accountability, positive attitude and dedication to service. Staff members use these seven values as the basis for daily decision-making, including the decisions that go into the budget process.

  • Integrity. We are open and honest. We honor our commitments to the community and each other. Our actions are consistent with what we say.
  • Respect. We treat our coworkers and members of the community with courtesy and dignity. We embrace diversity and acknowledge the needs, responsibilities and inherent worth of each individual.
  • Communication. We maintain an environment in which employees feel free to share ideas and information. We promote open interaction throughout the organization to ensure knowledge and understanding among all employees and our community.
  • Teamwork. We create a climate in which all employees work together and support the individual talents and contributions of team members. We celebrate successes and see mistakes as opportunities for growth; we will never willingly let a member of our team fail.
  • Accountability. We are responsible to our community and each other for our personal and organizational decisions, actions and performance results. We are committed stewards of our City’s assets and resources.
  • Positive Attitude. We focus our efforts on constructive behavior, attitudes and solutions. We promote an environment that people love going to every day – a place where each individual can find a sense of belonging, inspiration, enjoyment and meaning.
  • Dedication to Service. We pursue innovation and continuous improvement in all we do. We are committed to efficient, effective and responsive service delivery that makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.

Leadership Philosophy

We are members of an organization that succeeds because of teamwork, dedication, diversity and the innovative spirit of all of   our members. Together, we build a culture of trust, service, mutual respect, inclusion and open communication. We hold ourselves mutually accountable to promote and sustain continuous learning and to develop the learning potential that exists in every member of our team.

City Code

The complete Dublin City Code is available online at American Legal City Ordinance website. Information staff at the Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library are available to help navigate this website.

Revised Charter of Dublin, Ohio

This Revised Charter, as adopted on March 19, 1996, became effective on July 4, 1996.

Zoning Code

The Zoning Code for Dublin is Chapter 153 of the Dublin Code of Ordinances. The Zoning Code sets land development requirements and establishes different uses within individual districts. Zoning regulations address the physical development of a site, such as building height, lot requirements, setbacks from lot lines, minimum numbers of parking spaces, sign types and sizes, and other related regulations.

Service Center
6555 Shier Rings Rd

Hours: Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Chipper Service Hotline (24 hours)
Phone 614.410.4780

City Forester
Phone: 614.410.4701 | Fax: 614.761.6512

Parks & Recreation
Phone: 614.410.4700 | Fax: 614.761.6512

Recycling
Phone: 614.410.4750 | Fax: 614.761.6512

Streets & Utilities
Phone: 614.410.4750 | Fax: 614.761.6512

Street Maintenance
Phone: 614.410.4750 | Fax: 614.761.6512

Trash Collection
Phone: 614.410.4750 | Fax: 614.761.6512

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