Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Packing Peanuts

Noooooo.... styrofoam peanuts!

I know that the holidays are a season of joy.  Of generosity.  Visions of sugar plums dancing in your heads.

But, if there is one thing that can turn me into Mr. Scrooge faster than you can say, “Bah Humbug,”  its foam packing peanuts.

These little pieces of polystyrene foam madness find their way throughout my garage and under my skin.  And it seems like you cannot avoid them in December – no matter how hard you try.

Just imagine opening the next cardboard box that arrives on your front door step.  I dare you to try to get to the true contents without having at least a half-dozen packing peanuts jump ship onto your floor.  *sigh*

What can you do to make your holidays greener, if not brighter as well?

What's in your cardboard box?

Even knowing that packing peanuts have gotten more eco-friendly recently isn’t enough for me – though I will take it as a start.  New shipping supplies include packing materials made from biodegradable ingredients (corn starch, wheat, etc.).  You’ll know whether your breakable gifts arrive in green style.  A note will be included that encourages you to compost the peanuts, which can dissolve with water.

If you don’t get that little greeting note with your UPS delivery, then be certain you do not throw away those packing peanuts.   Your great- great- great-grandchildren will have grandkids of their own by the time the polystyrene foam you toss into the garbage finally decompose in a landfill.

NOTE:  Green colored packing peanuts are made from at least 70% recycled material, while white and pink colored peanuts are composed of at least 70% raw (i.e. non-recycled) materials.

In my opinion, it makes more eco-sense to wrap in newspaper or popcorn, than in foam peanuts – no matter what color they are!

Celebrate! There are many uses for packing peanuts!

So, what can you do with packing peanuts after you’ve received a package in the mail?

There are a number of ideas for recycling packing supplies:

1.  Re-purpose them.  Styrofoam peanuts can be used for many household purposes.  For example, you can use less soil in your potted plants by adding a layer of packing peanuts at the bottom of the pot first.  This also cuts down on the weight of the pot itself and assists with drainage.  Happy plants!

You can also string a few onto a key chain – particularly one with keys used for boating, fishing or camping.  That way, if your keys fall into the water, they may not sink to the bottom.

Why not deck the halls with multi-colored styrofoam peanuts?  String them as you would popcorn and adorn your swags or tree.  Just keep them away from hot lights and small children, of course (hint: use LED Christmas lights that are cool to the touch)

2.  Reuse them.  If you ship items regularly (think eBay), you can store foam peanuts for your own use in the future.  You can also use packing peanuts to fluff an old pet bed, or even add weight-less bulk to seasonal decorations (scarecrows) or costumes (Santa!)

3. Recycle them.  Check with your local recycling program to see if they accept styrofoam peanuts – many are adding them to the list of items that can go into curbside recycling.  Alternatively, take them back into shipping outlets, such as the UPS Store, Mailboxes, Etc. and more.  Most of these stores accept clean foam peanuts for re-use.  You can also call the Plastic Loose Fill Council’s “Peanut Hotline” at 1-800-828-2214-or visit its Web site to find a local outfit that will claim unwanted packing peanuts.

Have any additional tips for “green” holiday shipping, or recycling packing peanuts?  Please share…. ’tis the season!