MALIBU—On November 15, the City of Malibu will be hosting an event to promote environmental sustainability. The City is teaming up with conservational organizations, Sustainable Surf, Marko Foam and Access to encourage people to participate in conservation events.

Offered at the event, which is planned on “America Recycles Day,” will be polystyrene foam collection, free document shredding, and a presentation by the Malibu City Council from Sustainable Surf’s Kevin Whilden. Whilden’s presentation will be intended to “encourage Malibu residents to participate in the collection events, and to reduce, reuse and recycle.”

According to the City of Malibu’s website, “Over 13 billion pounds of polystyrene were produced in the U.S. alone in 2006, most of which was used in manufacturing polystyrene foam. When it is not properly recycled, polystyrene foam ends up in huge quantities in landfills, where it can take hundreds of years to break down, and is a major contributor to polluting ocean debris, that damages wildlife and marine ecosystems.”

In response, Sustainable Surf and Marko Foam are combining their efforts to use recycled foam to produce surfboards. Since 2011, Sustainable Surf has recycled over 50,000 pounds of polystyrene foam. Whilden explains, “Twenty pounds of foam can be recycled into twenty Marko Foam surfboard cores, which have 25 percent recycled content.”

Sustainable Surf and Marko Foam have been enlisting notable board shapers and professional surfers like Torrey Meister and Rob Machado to showcase the boards’ performance and show that the recycled foam boards perform as well as conventional boards.

The City plans to enlist a surfboard shaper to create a customized recycled foam surfboard with environmentally themed designs to promote Malibu’s environmental messages.

Polystyrene foam collection – Malibu and area residents can drop off polystyrene foam in the upper parking lot of City Hall located at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road November 1-15, Monday through Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Free paper shredding – Malibu residents can drop off paper documents to be securely shredded and recycled for free by Access on Saturday, November 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  in the upper parking lot of City Hall. Secure paper document shredding by Access is an effective way to prevent identity theft while recycling paper.

Presentation in City Council – The City Council will proclaim November 15 to be America Recycles Day at the November 10 City Council meeting.

The City has policies in place to use digital files instead of paper, minimize all paper use, use rechargeable batteries, separate all recycling, reduce water and electricity use, use hybrid and other alternative-fuel vehicles, install electric vehicle charging stations, and encourages residents to reduce their waste and conserve energy and natural resources.