Styrofoam is one of those products that seems to have gone through phases of recyclability. At one point, we were allowed to put it in the Recycling bin, now in many places we are told not to. Is there any way to recycle Styrofoam anymore?

If you live in the Northeast, Michigan or California, you may still be able to Recycle Styrofoam, but most recycling centers won’t take it anymore, because it is mostly air and after melting down for reuse, there isn’t enough plastic left to make it profitable. It’s also a different types of plastic than what most jugs and bottles are made of, and it’s simply not a great quality plastic the manufacturers want. Check with your local community’s recycling program, but most likely they will tell you to simply throw it in the trash.

Even if your community does take styrofoam for recycling, be aware that not all styrofoam is created equal. The foam used in cups is different than packing peanuts which is different than the foam blocks your electronics come packed in, and so on. Not all types may be accepted. Some programs also don’t want colored styrofoam. Be sure to find out what types of styrofoam are accepted in your program and which aren’t. And make sure all items are clean and uncontaminated with food, other bits of plastic, wire, receipts, etc.

Styrofoam Recycling Options

If you are really motivated or you have a business that finds itself with lots of styrofoam cups, packaging and so on, you can look around for places to take them.

• Packing peanuts are often desired by companies that ship a lot of products. If you have a bunch of styrofoam packing peanuts, offer to donate them to any company that can reuse them, or try your local UPS or FedEx store.
• The website Home for Foam has a map of drop-off locations in select areas of the country. Check the map to see if there is a program near you that may take the type of styrofoam you have.
• Dart Recycling also has a Recycla-Pak program to take styrofoam cups back by mail. If you have a business or organization that generates a lot of styrofoam cup waste, this may be an option for you.

My best advice is simply to avoid styrofoam whenever you can. Bring your own container for restaurant leftovers, carry a reusable mug or water bottle and when you have the option, patronize business that offer greener packaging choices.

Click here for more recycling articles.

The post Can I Recycle Styrofoam? appeared first on Green and Grumpy.