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Ron Crookham, plant manager of Dart Container Corp. in Lodi, shows a polystyrene densifier that recycles polystyrene at the plant. Polystyrene cups are made and printed at the Lodi plant for companies such as Cold Stone Creamery and Jamba Juice. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)
Designing Dart
From creation to recycling, Lodi container company has a hand in life of polystyrene
Lodians have sipped sodas, eaten ice cream and taken tacos home in them. They are polystyrene containers, and many people don't know they are produced right here in Lodi.
Dart Container Corp. came to town in 1984, and has been producing cups, bowls and other food containers made from polystyrene — more commonly known by the brand name Styrofoam — ever since. And, contrary to what you may have heard, it's completely recyclable.
The Dart family began their business in 1937 in Mason, Mich. They produced metal measuring tapes, plastic key holders and dog tags for the military. In 1959, while at a trade show, the Darts discovered polystyrene foam food containers and they saw the future of their business.
Michael Westerfield
Though they still have the main plant — and it's still family owned and operated — in Michigan, Dart Container Corp. has expanded to a total of 12 plants in the U.S., including Lodi, as well as one in Canada, one in the United Kingdom, two in Mexico, one in Argentina and one in Australia.
Dart produces 400 different products, ranging from plastic cutlery to printed foam containers (next time you're at Cold Stone Creamery, thank Dart for keeping your ice cream concoction cold). The Lodi plant focuses solely on foam containers, and they serve hundreds of local clients like Cold Stone Cremery, Jamba Juice and local coffee houses.
"That's the great thing about our product, it works both ways — hot and cold," said Michael Westerfield, the West Coast director of recycling and sustainability with Dart Container.
Polystyrene cups are made at Dart Container Corp. in Lodi. Cups are made and printed at the Lodi plant for companies such as Cold Stone Creamery and Jamba Juice. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)
Worldwide, the company employs 8,000 people, with 145 of those in Lodi. The local branch operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, popping out products like 6-ounce cups, 12 every seven seconds.
The massive machines that heat, mold, cool and cut the containers are all built by Dart in order to reduce costs. Even printing found on many of the products is done in-house.
Dart's manufacturing practices are so well-engineered and efficient, in fact, they only receive one reported problem for every 64.1 million containers created. Their order fulfillment rate is 99.5 percent.
"Which is why people want to do business with us," Westerfield said.
Even with their own fleet of delivery semi-trucks (a full-shipment of polystyrene containers weighs less than 1,000 pounds), the thing Westerfield and Plant Manager Ron Crookham seem most proud of is Dart's recycling efforts.
Foam recycling is available at Dart Container Corp. in Lodi. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)
Recently, Dart installed a foam recycling densifier at each of its plants. The machine heats the polystyrene and extracts the air (each foam product is comprised mostly of air), reducing it down to its base components. The amount of foam the densifier takes in is roughly the size of a compact car, compressing it all down into one 35-pound cylinder the size of an overnight bag.
And since the plant accepts used polystyrene 24 hours a day, recycling response has been overwhelming.
"I've got more (foam) than I can handle," said Crookham, who has been with the company for 27 years. Westerfield said that due to the large influx of recycled foam, the Lodi plant will be getting a bigger densifier.
What is polystyrene?
Polystyrene is a type of plastic polymer made from petroleum and naturally occurring styrene.Named for the styrax trees, styrene is found in the tree and other fruits, vegetables, nuts, beer and meat. It is extracted from the sap of the styrax. In a natural state, styrene is an oily liquid with a sweet smell, though large amounts can be much less pleasing to the nose.
The styrene is combined with the petroleum polymer, and blown full of air, using mass amounts of extremely small bubbles, creating the polystyrene foam, which is used in the production of everything from insulation to food and beverage containers.
— News-Sentinel staff
Dart Container at a glance
Where: 1400 Victor Road.Established: 1937 in Mason, Mich.
Opened in Lodi: 1984.
Products: Polystyrene food and beverage containers.
Recycling hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Information: www.dart.biz.
Source: Dart Container Corp.
That's good news to patrons like Nicole McCall, an employee at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. The polystyrene blocks used to keep the center's docks afloat has been soaking in water for seven years. Once they decided to fix the docks and replace the old foam, they needed somewhere to take the soggy blocks.
McCall found out about Dart's program through Christine Flowers, of Keep California Beautiful, and has been bringing down truckloads of foam every two weeks. No matter where it comes from, Dart will take in the old foam.
Though the recycled foam can't be re-used for food containers, it is compressed and sent off to companies that create building materials with it. Molding and trim are just a few of the items that are produced from the recycled polystyrene.
Westerfield is quick to point out that the foam created by Dart Container is 100 percent recyclable, has never contained chlorofluorocarbons and is cheaper to produce and buy than standard plastic-lined paperboard cups used in various coffee shops.
"Demand is exceeding expectations," Westerfield said.
Contact Business Editor Marc Lutz at marcl@lodinews.com.
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