Move mountains of Styrofoam in an environmentally friendly way
If you’ve just moved into or renovated your home, you know how quickly the Styrofoam™ packaging from materials and appliances stacks up. Although some companies use alternatives like shredded paper, biodegradable packing peanuts, cardboard, and biodegradable seaweed for shipping, Styrofoam is still used to package a lot of the products we consume. When it piles up, we’re here to help with info about how you can move that mountain of Styrofoam without throwing it right in the trash.
Styrofoam is a trademarked brand name for extruded polystyrene foam, but the word is generally used to refer to any similar polystyrene foam product. Styrofoam is used for a variety of purposes, from construction to food containers to packing peanuts. The air trapped in the tiny pockets of the foam makes it an excellent insulator and great for protecting items during shipping. Although it’s composed mostly of air, the plastic component of Styrofoam makes it problematic for the environment.
Plastic is not biodegradable. According to the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ), Styrofoam can last 500 years or more before it begins to decompose. This means that your packing materials keep piling up in landfills and polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans for a really long time. It’s in the best interest of everyone and the environment to properly dispose of Styrofoam instead of throwing it in the trash.
Ideally, polystyrene foam should be recycled or repurposed. The first thing you need to know is what’s recyclable and what’s not. Items with the number “6” in the middle of the triangular recycling arrows symbol can be recycled as long as they’re clean.
Some areas will accept polystyrene foam for regular recycling pickup, but check the rules for your area as many will not. In that case, you’ll need to find a nearby recycling center that will take your foam for disposal. If you don’t have a recycling center in your area, some centers allow you to ship polystyrene foam to them rather than drop it off. You may also be able to take packing peanuts to a shipping company like UPS or FedEx for reuse. It’s a good idea to call ahead to make sure they’ll accept it.
One thing you should never do is burn Styrofoam to get rid of it. Although disposing of Styrofoam may not seem as precarious as safely disposing of broken glass, burning polystyrene releases styrene, a toxic chemical that the EPA lists as a possible carcinogen, and carbon monoxide. These chemicals are toxic to humans and animals and they also cause damage to the ozone layer.
Some polystyrene comes in big pieces and other varieties are small like packing peanuts. For larger chunks of polystyrene, you may want to cut it into smaller pieces that fit easily into a garbage bag.
Use a knife or utility knife with a sharp, new blade to cut the foam cleanly. Avoid using saws or serrated blades as the teeth will create a lot of polystyrene dust that ends up flying into the environment.
Separate and organize different types of Styrofoam—particularly the recyclable and non-recyclable—so that it’s easier to take each type to the proper place. Because Styrofoam is light, it’s easy to haul around, even if you have a lot of it.
If you’ve just moved or renovated and you’re staring at way more packing foam than you could possibly cut up and take to a recycling center, consider calling a local trash hauling company or look into the cost to rent a dumpster.
Before sending chunks of foam to be recycled, you may be able to reuse them around the house, saving money and helping the environment at the same time. Once you’ve repurposed the Styrofoam, recycling is still an option. Just confirm what condition it needs to be in for a recycling center to accept it. Here are a few ideas for repurposed Styrofoam:
Clean out Styrofoam egg cartons and takeout containers to use as seed starters for your garden.
Wash out Styrofoam cups or plates for reuse. They can be reused several times.
Use Styrofoam for crafts with the kids or for your own crafts. If you have no use for it, check with local schools or daycare centers that may be able to use it for craft time.
Reuse packing peanuts in your own parcels or save for the next time you move.
Many recycling centers will not recycle Styrofoam because it is very difficult to return to its base form. Additionally, many recycling facilities do not have the proper equipment to compact or densify recycled polystyrene foam into new foam blocks. Ultimately, the entire process for recycling polystyrene foam is expensive and takes a lot of time.
Although plastic and polystyrene foam are made from similar materials, Styrofoam tends to be more harmful to the environment because it is more difficult to recycle than other plastics. Therefore, Styrofoam ends up in landfills and will likely take 500 years or more to begin decomposition.
No, Styrofoam does not dissolve in water. Polystyrene foam is not water-soluble. However, it is soluble in acetone. New biodegradable plastics and packing peanuts made of starch have been developed as alternatives to traditional polystyrene packaging materials. Additional alternatives to Styrofoam include materials made from mushrooms, seaweed, and other naturally derived substances.
