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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters reuse a small box's worth of packing peanuts instead of buying new, we'll avert enough waste to fill 35 delivery trucks.
COCKTAIL FACT
OCD heaven: Bubble wrap was originally intended for use as textured wallpaper.
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home › tip library › Packing Peanuts
Do you have a violent reaction to peanuts - the polystyrene kind?
The Bite
No kidding. For such a small piece of foam, packing peanuts are huge source of annoyance and waste. Keep your nutty reaction under control by reusing them (and bubble wrap too).The Benefits
- Saving cash. Saving them for future mailings costs less than paying for new packaging - and you can use the money to pay your allergist.
- Easy recycling. More than 1,500 places nationwide (such as most UPS Stores) will take 'nuts and bubble wrap off your hands.
- Fewer new peanuts. Places that collect used peanuts meet 50% of their packing-fill needs thanks to peanut donations.
- Bio and recycled options. If you must buy new box-fillers, go with eco-friendlier versions.
Personally Speaking
Cricket has been known to chomp down the occasional biodegradable cornstarch packing peanut when no one's looking.Wanna Try?
- Plastic Loose Fill Council - visit this site or call 800-828-2214 for the nearest packing-peanut drop spot.
- Custom Wrap Cellulose Wadding - recycled paper that works as a filler or wrap ($45/two 24-in-by-200-ft rolls).
- Sealed Air Bubble Wrap - bubble wrap made using partially recycled plastic ($5/12-in-by-10-ft roll).
- U-Haul Biodegradable Packing Peanuts - made from cornstarch, they're durable but will decompose in H2O ($5/1.5 cu ft).
- Virtual Bubblewrap - once you pop, you can't stop.
Jan 14,2008
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Snap, Crackle, and Pop
Since I don't really end up with many packing materials (living in a shopping district means there's not much need to buy anything online), I tend to horde the miniscule quantities of peanuts, bubble wrap, and newspaper I do get to use later. Same with wrapping paper. And ribbon. And package decorations. For some reason, the concept of actually purchasing these types of items has always seemed annoying to me...kinda like buying water...or frankly, socks...
But the dream lives on: to someday fill a room with packing peanuts and bubble-wrap walls, and just jump around in it for fun. Don't lie - you know you'd want a go at it too...
-Jenifer Morgan...off to settle for popping some virtual bubble wrap...
But the dream lives on: to someday fill a room with packing peanuts and bubble-wrap walls, and just jump around in it for fun. Don't lie - you know you'd want a go at it too...
-Jenifer Morgan...off to settle for popping some virtual bubble wrap...
Biter Comments...
I, too, keep them when I can. When I need them and don't have them - I dumpster dive :-) There is a Linens-n-Things near me and they always have garbage bags filled with nothing but packing peanuts, air-pillows, bubble wrap, and styrofoam.
While it's not necessarily environmental friendly, at least I'm rescuing it on the short-term. Plus its a lot cheaper for me :-)
-Jason
http://www.screamtobegreen.com
I recently read about another suggested use for packing peanuts (from one of those domestic divas ... Martha Stewart, maybe?): Use them as filler at the bottom of a large/very deep planter. This means you can use much less potting soil...
I recently read about another suggested use for packing peanuts (from one of those domestic divas ... Martha Stewart, maybe?): Use them as filler at the bottom of a large/very deep planter. This means you can use much less potting soil
If you are as fanatical about shredding all those stupid credit card applications as I am, you'll have plenty of shredded paper to use the next time you have to send a package out.
Viviane -
Step 1: Find the pre-paid application envelope.
Step 2: Gather all materials that were sent to you.
Step 3: Place them all in the pre-paid envelope and seal.
Step 4: Place sealed envelope in mailbox.
Step 5: Sign up for Greendimes
-Jason
http://www.screamtobegreen.com
I always take my peanuts, air pillows, and bubble wrap over to the nearest UPS. They can also take the stryofoam as long as it is not molded. They end up using. So, check if your closest UPS will take any sort of packaging materials.
Speaking about styrofoam. You can recycle that too. Check out epspacking.org
Jason-love your dumpster diving idea.
CE-I have done the planter with peanut ideas but the peanuts kept coming up to the surface despite the amount of dirt I put in. Any ideas what I did wrong? Anna www.green-talk.com
My Mother in law works for a courier service and she advises air popping some popcorn and using it as a packing material. I have been doing it for years now and no broken items.
I sent a package with cookies in it to my husband when he was away on a six week training course and after they devoured the cookies they started in on the popcorn.
Cricket is so adorable. I loved all of those pictures of her. I always think about recycling those popcorn pieces, I will be sure to do so next time I get a package with them. I love all your simple green tips!
Such a right on time tip. I got a pedicure last week and my manicurist recycles packing peanuts as toe separators!
Jason, I love your idea, except at my house it is:
Step 2: Gather all materials that were sent to you, all other junk mail and anything else heavy that will fit in the prepaid envelope.
I recently used old ripped sheets to ship something fragile to a relative. I encouraged her to keep the shreds for reuse on her next shipping package (although she is threatening to use them for dusting)
I just HATE packing peanuts. Even if they were the eco kind. They just get everywhere, and I have cats who try to eat them, and I have a very curious near-4 year old and a baby who will be crawling soon. I'd take bubble wrap or those air pillow things any day. Luckily my recycling place takes them for free and resells the peanuts and any other packing material I bring in. I will save a lot of my bubble wrap though, and I'm always so slow about getting to the recycling place (no pick up where I live) that there's always plenty of newspaper to crumple!
Sorry, but virtual bubble wrap just won't do it for me. I have to have that tactile sensation of the real thing. And as for the packing peanuts, wouldn't you know there's no place anywhere near me that recycles them. Oh, well. It's just a good thing that I get very little of either one.
Forgot to mention that you can use bubblewrap on your windows, too. Just mist them with water and put it up.
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Conservation/bubblewrap.htm
-Jason
http://www.screamtobegreen.com
I buy and sell a lot of stuff on ebay so I might have the largest collection of recycled packaging materials ever! My sister started selling on ebay and was buying new packing supplies to ship with and I finally got her to just reuse, for her it was the money factor, but hey, get 'em where it counts and it still makes a difference.
And I have heard of greendimes.com or is it .org. What a good thing to sign up for.
-Carrie
http://www.litegreenliving.com
I save the packing peanuts, and use them to re-stuff my kids bean bag chairs when they go flat.
I read in a magazine that if you sign up at this website: www.catalogchoice.org; it removes your names from catalog lists. I just signed up (a few weeks ago), but so far no new catalogs in the mail.
There is also greendimes.com. They do lots of junk mail purging. Don't know why Ideal Bite doesn't know about it!
Use the new biodegradable peanuts available by Puffy Stuff in Tennessee. They are safe enough to eat, safe for pets, and safe for the garden. They use zero petrochemicals in the manufacturing and they are stronger than any I have ever seen.
http://puffystufftn.com
Carrie, that's an awesome idea... I may have to steal that one, because I get my stuffing from http://BeanBagsOnly.com, reasonable and cheap but i like free indeed... Why not buy large bean bag chairs or fuf chairs and jump around on those instead? Less messy... and tons of fun...
Jason, that's a great idea. Thanks for the tip.
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Posted by: Annie | January 14, 2008 at 04:58 AM