By JOHN ROGERS
Sustainability Committee Chair
No! Never. Sorry. “Expanded polystyrene foam (aka Styrofoam) in any shape or size is not recyclable in your household recycling bin,” according to the state’s RecycleSmartMA.org website. It’s difficult to recycle and the material is not in demand.
“Never” covers those bulky blocks, like those that protected your new TV until you unboxed it. It also covers Styrofoam plates, bowls and cups; Styrofoam meat trays and egg cartons; takeout containers; and more. It can be hard or flexible, and any color – even clear. Some containers might be labeled #6/PS (for polystyrene). Trash all of it.
Better yet, avoid it. While that’s hard to do when buying a TV, in other categories we can pick more sustainable options, like paper products, even if they may cost a little more.
One possible exception to “trash all of it” are “packing peanuts” that sometimes cocoon shipped products. RecycleSmartMA says, “Some packing and shipping companies will take packing peanuts for reuse. Call before you go.” (But note that North Reading’s UPS Store doesn’t use peanuts, so doesn’t take them.)
Instead, you can try what a friend of mine does: peddle bags of packing peanuts for $1 at your next yard sale, for folks who sell things on eBay or other avenues of e-commerce.
There are a few options, but remember that putting Styrofoam in the recycling bin isn’t one of them.
Content for the Sustainability Corner is provided periodically to the Transcript by members of the town’s Sustainability Committee.
