I have a question to pose for you – what do you do when you receive Styrofoam in the packaging in a product of yours? I didn’t know there was anything else one could do besides throwing it in the landfill garbage, but I now know that I stand corrected – which I am perfectly fine with. Thanks to the website “Green Living Tips” (www.greenlivingtips.com), I have found a lot of things that you can do with your Styrofoam you find in packages and products you buy.
Styrofoam is actually the trademarked name of the Dow Company; it is made of material called polystyrene and marked with the recycling symbol with the number 6 in it. Because Styrofoam is a type of plastic, it takes a long time to decompose. When it finally manages to decompose, it releases very toxic materials into the ground, greatly polluting the environment. This is why it is so important for us to reuse Styrofoam as much as possible.
It is important to know that burning polystyrene is not a good option. Although the elimination chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) made some people believe that burning Styrofoam will not harm the environment. However, it still can cause major damage to the environment.
- In their “Recycling Styrofoam” article, Green Living Tips gave the following ideas for recycling Styrofoam: Keep as packaging
This is the most simple way option Green Living Tips gives. This recommendation includes keeping the packaging and using it again when you need it.
2. Craft shops
Craft shops can be a great place to take your Styrofoam that you don’t plan to use. Many people find this Styrofoam useful for their projects and are willing to purchase this from the store. Therefore, the store may even give you money for your Styrofoam.
3. Earth911.org
Using the search box in the top right corner of Earth 911’s website, type in the word “polystyrene” and your location (typing “Styrofoam” will not work). The website will list all of the businesses in your area that accept Styrofoam.
4. Planters
This isn’t the only place I’ve heard of using Styrofoam in the bottom of planters, because they help keep moisture in. However, there is the question of pollution from the degrading of Styrofoam.
5. Mail back initiative
The Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers offers a mail back program. You can simply mail in your Styrofoam for the price of shipping, and they will recycle your Styrofoam for you.
6. Sell It yourself
The Recycled Plastics Markets Database allows you to sell your Styrofoam and find a variety of buyers who will purchase it.
Being as investigative as I am, I decided to look up businesses in the Tri-Cities area that take Styrofoam. Here are my results:
·
Clayton Ward Recycling
1936 Saint Street, Richland
I have not confirmed this with the company yet, but I will be doing so tomorrow afternoon. The site also says that they will take many other plastics not picked up at the curb. Note, however, that this is Earth 911, not Clayton Ward’s actual site, which says they only accept #1 and #2 plastic. This however, has not been updated since June 14th. I will report back tomorrow on my findings.
Sources:
Green Living Tips (www.greenlivingtips.com)
Earth 911 (www.earth911.org)
Clayton-Ward Recycling (www.claytonwardrecycling.com
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