How To Recycle Packing Peanuts - Earth911

Packing peanuts (you may know them as “popcorn”) used to protect shipped materials from damage are made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), a #6 plastic that most of us call by the Dow Chemical Company trademarked name “Styrofoam.” What can you do with these loose plastic packaging leftovers?

Unfortunately, you can’t “un-expand” foam plastic, and that limits the recycling market for this material. Americans dump approximately 1,500 tons of polystyrene in landfills daily, and less than 10% of EPS is recycled nationally. Reuse or donation remain the best options for this material, but recycling infrastructure and alternatives are expanding rapidly.

The regulatory landscape for EPS is shifting fast. As of 2025, 12 U.S. states and three territories have enacted statewide bans targeting expanded polystyrene, including Maryland, Maine, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Virginia, Washington, Delaware, Oregon, Rhode Island, and California. Oregon’s Senate Bill 543 specifically prohibits selling or distributing EPS packing peanuts as of January 1, 2025.

At the federal level, the Farewell to Foam Act of 2025 reintroduced in both chambers of Congress, proposes a nationwide ban on EPS food service ware, packing peanuts, and non-medical coolers starting in January 2028. It’s not likely the bill will pass in the current Congress.

Know Your Packing Peanuts

Before recycling or disposing of packing peanuts, determine whether they are EPS (polystyrene) or biodegradable starch-based alternatives. The test is simple. Drop a peanut into a glass of warm water; if it dissolves, it’s a biodegradable starch peanut that can be composted. If it stays intact, it’s EPS and needs to be reused, recycled, or properly disposed of.

The color of EPS packing peanuts also matters. Green peanuts contain up to 70% recycled content, making them the more sustainable choice. Pink peanuts include an antistatic agent for protecting electronics that makes recycling impractical because the additive cannot be separated from the plastic. White peanuts are typically made from mostly virgin polystyrene.

Many drop-off locations will only accept white packing peanuts

Packing Peanut Recycling Preparation

If your peanuts are plastic, take these steps before recycling:

1. Check with your local recycling facility to see if they take EPS peanuts, and whether they accept only white ones.
2. Separate packing peanuts from everything else in the shipping box, including the cardboard, any paper instructions, plastic bags, and other EPS packaging. These materials have their own recycling markets, but no recycler will accept them mixed together.
3. Sort packing peanuts by color and dispose of the ones your local facilities refuse.
4. Bag up all your packing peanuts in one clear plastic bag.
5. Ensure packing peanuts are clean, dry, and free of tape, labels, or other debris before donating or recycling them.

Reuse Options: The Best First Step

Reuse is always the most effective way to keep packing peanuts out of landfills. Here’s how:

Save them for your own shipping needs. If you have room in your house or apartment, store the packing peanuts for reuse when shipping gifts for the holidays or birthdays. There’s no reason to pay for new packing peanuts when you have plenty of used ones.

Donate to shipping stores. The UPS Store locations, Pak Mail, FedEx Office, and independent shipping stores will often accept clean packing peanuts for reuse in their outgoing shipments. Call ahead to confirm they’re currently accepting donations.

Donate to schools, churches, and community organizations. Packing peanuts make excellent material for art projects, science fair displays, and craft activities. Contact local schools, churches, and art centers to see if they can use your donation.

Repurpose at home. Use clean EPS peanuts as drainage material in the bottom of large plant pots (in a mesh bag to prevent them from clogging drain holes), as insulation filler, or as cushioning material to refill deflated cushions or stuffed animals.

Recycling Options

While reuse is usually the easiest way to keep packing peanuts out of the environment, several recycling pathways exist for EPS packing peanuts:

Find a drop-off location through the EPS Industry Alliance. The EPS Industry Alliance maintains an interactive recycling map with over 680 drop-off locations and 30 mail-back centers across North America. The map, which is regularly updated, lets you search by location to find nearby businesses that accept packing peanuts for reuse or recycling. (Note: The Plastic Loose Fill Council’s Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214 and its loosefillpackaging.com website are no longer in service.)

Hefty ReNew Program. In participating communities (currently available in about a dozen metro areas including Cincinnati, Omaha, and Boise), the Hefty ReNew program accepts packing peanuts along with other hard-to-recycle plastics. Place clean, dry foam peanuts in the signature orange Hefty ReNew bags, then include them with your curbside recycling or take them to a designated drop-off location. The collected materials are converted into building materials like decking and park benches.

TerraCycle Zero Waste Box. TerraCycle offers prepaid mail-in boxes that accept EPS packaging. You purchase a collection box (starting at $113 for the smallest size), fill it with clean foam packaging, seal it, and mail it back with the included prepaid shipping label. This option is most cost-effective for businesses or organizations generating significant amounts of foam waste.

Mobile densification units. For communities without fixed recycling infrastructure, mobile recycling systems like the Styro-Constrictor and Styro-Portapactor travel to locations and densify foam on-site, reducing EPS volume by up to 90% and making it economically viable to transport for recycling.

Why Reuse and Recycle Packing Peanuts?

Packing peanuts and other EPS are among the most common sources of marine debris, where they can be mistaken as food by birds, fish, and marine mammals. Animals that ingest polystyrene foam can suffer blocked digestive systems and may starve.

EPS foam is a significant source of microplastics. The material is brittle and susceptible to photo-oxidation, meaning it breaks into smaller and smaller particles that persist in waterways and soil.

Packing peanuts don’t biodegrade. They will persist in landfills for hundreds of years.

The EPS Industry Alliance reported that 168.6 million pounds of EPS transport and protective packaging was diverted from disposal in North America in 2022—that’s up from 136.8 million pounds in 2019—the recycling infrastructure is growing. Recycled EPS can be used to make new EPS products, picture frames, rulers, surfboards, park benches, and building insulation. 

Frequent Packing Peanuts Recycling Questions

Can I recycle packing peanuts in my curbside recycling program?

Most cities do not accept expanded polystyrene (EPS) in curbside programs. Even if your local program says it accepts #6 plastic (technically, EPS is a form of #6 plastic), most exclude foam plastics because of their bulk and light weight. The exception is communities that participate in the Hefty ReNew program, which accepts foam peanuts in designated orange bags alongside curbside recycling collection.

How do I tell if my packing peanuts are biodegradable or EPS?

Drop a peanut in a glass of warm water. If it dissolves within minutes, it’s a biodegradable starch-based peanut that can be composted in a home or municipal compost system. If it remains intact, it’s EPS polystyrene and should be reused, recycled, or disposed of through the options described above.

What is the difference between expanded polystyrene and Styrofoam?

Styrofoam is a trademarked product originally made by Dow Chemical Company, specifically a form of extruded polystyrene (XPS) used primarily in construction insulation. The term is commonly — but incorrectly — applied to all EPS foam products. EPS packing peanuts are softer and more flexible than actual Styrofoam products, which are rigid and split when folded.

Can I recycle packing peanuts for money?

No. Your best bet is to donate packing peanuts to a shipping store for reuse. While it is less expensive to produce new EPS from recycled content than from virgin material, companies are unlikely to pay for your used material unless you can provide it by the truckload.

Can I purchase packing peanuts made from recycled EPS?

Yes, and the color signals the recycled content. Green packing peanuts contain up to 70% recycled content, making them the best choice for sustainability. White and pink peanuts are mostly made from virgin material. If you ship frequently, choosing green peanuts helps support the recycling market for EPS.

Can I purchase packing peanuts that aren’t made from EPS?

Yes, and many companies have already switched. U-Haul uses biodegradable peanuts made from corn and potato starch. Amazon has moved away from EPS foam packing peanuts entirely, using recycled paper fillers and inflatable air pillows instead. Other alternatives include corrugated cardboard bubble wrap, recycled paper crinkle fill, and air pillows made from recycled materials. Note that starch-based peanuts are compostable but not recyclable; if they aren’t composted, they’ll eventually end up in a landfill, where they will eventually break down.

How are packing peanuts recycled?

EPS is not technically “recycled” in the traditional sense of converting a product back into its raw material. However, old packing peanuts can be converted into new products. Recyclers first compact EPS foam into dense blocks using specialized equipment called densifiers, which remove the air (EPS is approximately 95–98% air by volume). The densified material is then shredded into pellets. These pellets are used to create new products, including other EPS packaging, insulation, picture frames, rulers, surfboards, and park benches.

Are there any states that ban packing peanuts?

Yes, and the list is growing. Oregon explicitly banned the sale and distribution of EPS packing peanuts as of January 1, 2025, through Senate Bill 543. Twelve states and three territories now have some form of EPS ban, though most focus primarily on food service containers. California’s SB54 requires EPS food packaging manufacturers to demonstrate a 25% recycling rate to continue operating in the state. At the federal level, the Farewell to Foam Act of 2025 proposes a nationwide ban on EPS packing peanuts (referred to as “expanded polystyrene loose fill” in the legislation) beginning January 1, 2028. The bill has broad support from environmental organizations but has not yet passed.

If I must throw packing peanuts away, what’s the best approach?

If no reuse or recycling option is available in your area, bag all packing peanuts in a single sealed bag before placing them in the trash. This prevents them from escaping during transportation and becoming litter, which is one of the primary environmental concerns with loose EPS. Never put loose packing peanuts directly into a trash can or recycling bin, as they can be blown away by the wind.

Additional Reading

• The State of Plastic Bans in the United States: A comprehensive overview of the rapidly expanding landscape of EPS and single-use plastic restrictions.
• EPS Foam Packaging & Products Bans Expand to Oregon, California, and Three Other States: Details on the latest state-level bans affecting EPS foam.
• How to Create a Sustainable Shipping Department: If your business frequently ships products, here are some ways to green your process.
• Recycling Mystery: Expanded Polystyrene: An overview of recycling options for all EPS plastic, including mobile densification solutions.

Editor’s Note: Originally published on March 11, 2021, this article was updated in March 2026 with current EPS recycling statistics, state ban information, federal legislation updates, new recycling and mail-in programs, and expanded reuse guidance.