How to Get Rid of Packing Peanuts?

Two Kinds of Packing Peanuts

Packing peanuts are small shaped pieces used as loose-fill cushioning. They look alike, but they are made of different materials and are handled differently.

The Water Test

• Step 1: Fill a glass with room-temperature water.
• Step 2: Drop in one peanut and wait. Starch types can take a few minutes, and warm water is faster.
• Step 3: If it softens or starts to dissolve, it is starch-based. If it stays solid, it is polystyrene.
• Step 4: Treat the pile as the type you found. Do not mix them, and do not assume that a pack of mixed peanuts is all one type.

Some peanuts carry a mark or a note such as "biodegradable". Treat that as a clue, not a proof, and test one.

Why Polystyrene Peanuts Are Tricky

Polystyrene is a plastic that is mostly air. That makes it very light and very good at cushioning, and also hard to handle as waste.

• Not accepted curbside. Most curbside recycling programs do not take foam, and loose pieces slip through sorting equipment.
• Takes up space, weighs little. Collecting and moving air is costly compared to the value of the material.
• Does not break down. In a landfill it stays for a very long time, and loose pieces can blow away and break into smaller bits.
• Static makes them hard to control. They stick to clothes, floors and each other.

Some specialized programs and drop-off points recycle or reuse clean foam, but availability is limited and varies by location. That is why reuse is the best answer.

Ways to Get Rid of Packing Peanuts

Follow this order. The first options keep the peanuts in use, and the last ones treat them as waste.

1. Reuse Them Yourself

Clean, dry peanuts can be used many times. Keep them in a large bag or a box in a closet, and use them the next time you ship a gift or a sale. Check each time that they are not damp, torn or dusty.

2. Give Them to Someone Who Ships

Small online sellers, craft sellers, schools and community groups often need cushioning. Many independent pack-and-ship shops accept clean peanuts for reuse as well. Policies change, so call before you go. Never leave a bag at a business without permission.

3. Use a Drop-Off Program

Some recycling centers and specialty programs take clean polystyrene foam, sometimes including peanuts. Search for your area, and look at what the program accepts. Some will take only blocks and not loose peanuts. A few mail-back options exist, but the cost of shipping can outweigh the benefit, so treat them with caution.

4. Dissolve Starch-Based Peanuts

If the water test shows that your peanuts are starch-based, you can dissolve them in water. Many sources say a small amount of the resulting mixture can go down a household drain, but local advice differs, and large amounts of starch can clog pipes. If you have a septic system, check first. When in doubt, ask your local waste authority.

5. Trash Them, as a Last Resort

If nothing else works, put polystyrene peanuts in a sealed bag and put them in the trash. Do not put them in the recycling bin unless your program says it accepts them. Bagging stops them blowing around the street.

Composting Myths

Composting is where most of the confusion comes from.

• Polystyrene is not compostable. It does not break down in a compost pile or a composting facility.
• "Biodegradable" does not mean the same everywhere. Starch-based peanuts may break down in water or in the right conditions, but the term says little about time, place or what is left. Our guide to biodegradable packaging materials explains the differences.
• Dissolving is not composting. A peanut that melts in water has changed form, but that is not the same as being accepted by a compost program.
• Check the supplier. If you want to compost starch peanuts, ask the manufacturer what they are made of and how they recommend disposal.

Tips for Easy Disposal

• Sort by type with the water test before you do anything else.
• Keep peanuts dry, because damp starch peanuts stick and dissolve.
• Store them in a large bag or a box with a lid, and label it.
• Take out other packing material, such as tape and paper, so the peanuts are clean.
• Reuse the box and the packaging you received first. Our guide to ways to reuse packaging boxes has ideas.
• Call a drop-off before you carry a big bag there.

Alternatives for Shippers

If you ship products, the easiest way to deal with packing peanuts is to stop creating them. There are several alternatives, and the right one depends on what you ship.

A better-fitting box often removes the need for filler. See our guide to measuring a box correctly. Paper-based fill, such as packing paper and void fill, is recycled with paper where it is accepted, and box inserts hold a product in place without loose pieces. Our mailer boxes and shipping boxes are made from corrugated board, so they go in the paper bin after use. Read more about the paper route in our guide on whether cardboard gets recycled.

How to Choose

• Weight. Heavy items need firm support, such as an insert or a snug box, not loose fill.
• Fragility. For glass and ceramics, wrap each item and fill the gaps, then test the box with a drop.
• Volume. A machine that dispenses paper fill saves time at higher volume.
• Brand look. Colored or printed paper adds to the unboxing, and loose peanuts rarely do.
• Customer disposal. Customers can recycle paper. They cannot easily dispose of foam.

Common Mistakes

• Putting foam peanuts in the recycling bin.
• Assuming every white peanut dissolves in water.
• Scattering them loose in a garden or composter.
• Leaving a bag at a shipping store without asking.
• Pouring large amounts of dissolved starch down a drain without checking.
• Sending peanuts to customers as filler when the product could fit a smaller box.

Your Next Step

If you have peanuts now, run the water test and then reuse or hand them on. If you are a seller, try one order with paper fill or a snug box and see whether it protects as well. The Standard Sample Kit costs $50, shipping included, and our box inserts are another route. For a custom fit, get a free quote.