How to Recycle Packaging Materials

Discarded packaging material often winds up in landfills. The National Recycling Coalition reports that approximately one-third of the material in an average dump is packaging material, which includes cardboard, plastic and expanded polystyrene (or Styrofoam). Packaging material represents approximately 65 percent of household trash and about 10 percent of the purchase price of most products. The Air and Waste Management Association puts the amount of packaging material Americans throw away daily at 150,000 tons. This packaging material can be recycled, thus saving energy and protecting the environment.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Twine

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Instructions

• 1

  Separate all the packaging material by type, creating piles for cardboard, plastic---including bubble wrap---and Styrofoam---including foam packing peanuts. Break down any boxes into flat cardboard pieces, for easier piling.

• 2

  Remove all glue, tape, food and other non-recyclable material from all the items. Recycling centers will not accept recyclables that contain residue from any of these items.

• 3

  Fold and cut the cardboard into relatively equivalent manageable sizes, approximately 2 to 3 feet square. Place the cardboard into lightweight piles, approximately under a foot and tie up each pile using twine.

• 4

  Sort the cardboard and plastic into their respective containers and set them out on pick-up day, if your neighborhood has a curbside recycling program.

• 5

  Locate your local recycling center in your telephone directory or at Earth911.com, if your neighborhood does not have such a program. Drop off your packaging materials at the recycling center.

• 6

  Call 1-800-944-8448 or visit the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers website to learn the location of the nearest drop off location for foam packing material, if your center does not accept Styrofoam.

• 7

  Drop off or mail your foam packaging to the recycling center that accepts it. If you need to mail it, box it up and contact the USPS to arrange for your local mail carrier to pick it up. The cost of mailing recycled packaging material is negligible as it is composed mostly of air, and therefore weighs little. If necessary, it can even be broken down into small pieces for easier and more cost-effective transport.