Recycling Packing Peanuts
Packing peanuts protect products from the moment they’re shipped to delivery to companies and consumers. Many businesses that receive all sorts of goods end up with lots of packing peanuts to get rid of regularly. Recycling packing peanuts is a sustainable disposal solution but it’s not straightforward
Most packing peanuts are made from Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), which is challenging to recycle. Only about 6% of all EPS foam used in the UK is recycled with the rest sent to landfill sites or for incineration. Therefore, recycling packing peanuts where possible is important to protect the environment.
Learn all about recycling packing peanuts and ways to get rid of them sustainably from your organisation. Alternatively, speak to one of our waste experts for a free quote and help disposing of packing peanuts away from landfill – call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online.
Can you recycle packing peanuts?
You can recycle some packing peanuts, but it depends on their material. Most polystyrene (EPS) packing peanuts aren’t widely recycled. However, there are more recycling facilities in the UK now that have the technology to recycle EPS (including packing peanuts). This is a sustainable choice for businesses to recycle packing peanuts.
Starch-based packing peanuts can be recycled or disposed of responsibly by composting and biodegrading them. These types of packing peanuts dissolve in water and can be used to create slurry. Alternatively, they can be added to industrial compost piles to degrade and naturally recycle.
How to dispose of packing peanuts
from your business
To dispose of any type and amount of packing peanuts from a business you must arrange commercial waste collection by licensed waste carriers. This is a legal requirement to ensure such waste is removed, transported, and disposed of safely. Partner with Business Waste for a sustainable and sound solution.
Keep the packing peanuts clean and store them separately from other waste materials. Arrange collection by licensed waste carriers at a convenient time and date, using a company that recycles or disposes of them responsibly away from landfill. They should remove the waste and provide a duty of care certificate confirming the disposal location and method.
Other options to get rid of packing peanuts from a business include to simply reuse them. Store them and use to package any goods and items your company sends out to clients, customers, or anyone else. Donating them to schools, charities, or organisations that can use them is also a sustainable choice.
Who needs to recycle packing peanuts?
All businesses that receive deliveries that are packaged up with packing peanuts need to dispose of them responsibly. This includes everything from garages that get car parts delivered in boxes full of packing peanuts to hair salons receiving new products. These are some businesses that create lots of packing peanut waste:
- Offices – many office workers receive online deliveries that come boxed up with packing peanuts, as well as orders for supplies and other products.
- Shops – stock may arrive in boxes full of packing peanuts to protect the items, which must be disposed of responsibly.
- Factories – factories that produce packing peanuts may create waste with misshapen or awkward sized ones that need disposing of properly.
Arrange waste packing peanut recycling
Book removals of any packing peanuts your business needs to dispose of responsibly anywhere in the UK with Business Waste. Licensed waste carriers can collect them and transport them to a recycling or composting facility for disposal. We keep all waste away from landfill, so the waste packing peanuts will never go to a landfill site.
You receive a free duty of care certificate that confirms the safe, legal, and responsible location and method of disposal. Speak to one of our experts to discuss your situation, your peanut packing collection needs, and for a free no-obligation quote – call 0800 211 8390 or contact us online today.
Packing peanut recycling FAQs
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Can packing peanuts be recycled at home?
You can’t put packing peanuts in your recycling bin at home in the UK. This is because EPS-based packing peanuts are challenging to recycle. Check with your local council or authority if you can recycle any types of packing peanuts at your nearest household waste recycling centre (HWRC) or where to recycle them.
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Can I put packing peanuts in compost?
Starch-based packing peanuts are biodegradable and can be put in compost piles. To check whether any packing peanuts are compostable add a bit of water to them. If they start to dissolve then they should be compostable, if not then they might be made from EPS foam and cannot be added to a compost heap.
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How long does it take for packing peanuts to decompose?
How long it takes packing peanuts to decompose depends on the material they’re made from. Only starch-based packing peanuts should be composted, and it takes them six months or less to decompose. Packing peanuts made from EPS can take hundreds of years to break down and biodegrade, so they should be recycled.
Learn about more
types of waste
Read more guides about ways to recycle and dispose of other waste types responsibly.
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