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Does Styrofoam Go in the Paper or Plastic Recycling?

The name Styrofoam is a trademark of the Dow Chemical Company. In general use of the word styrofoam is applied to any type of lightweight plastic foam used to make insulation, packaging and other products. Although the product is chemically similar to the polystyrene used in plastic products, which is widely recycled, many plastic recycling programs do not accept foam products. Because the material is a plastic, products made of plastic foam cannot be recycled with paper.

Plastic Foam Production
- The containers, insulation, packaging and other products commonly called styrofoam are made of tiny spheres of polystyrene expanded by air injected as they are heated. Once expanded, the beads, now as much as 40 times their original size, are combined in heated molds where they expand further and adhere to form the desired shape. The end product consists of as much as 98 percent air, yet is water-resistant, soft and an excellent insulator.
Plastic Foam Uses
- Foam cups are water-resistant, lightweight and excellent insulators.
  
  Plastic foam has many uses. It is widely used to make packaging such as food containers, including clam-shell boxes for sandwiches and foam cups for hot and cold drinks. When molded into custom-shaped blocks, the foam both absorbs shock to protect delicate products like electronics and glass, and insulates against changing temperature. Peanut-shaped blobs of plastic foam are used to fill shipping containers because of their light weight, small size and non-abrasive surface.
  
  Plastic foam is also used to make crafts, lightweight objects from holiday decorations to life preservers, and as an insulating layer in construction.
Recycling Plastic Foam
- Plastic foam used for food are difficult to clean for recycling.
  
  Plastic foam, even when marked with a recycling symbol number 6 (polystyrene), is rarely accepted by recycling centers or municipal recycling programs. The chief reason is that bulky, lightweight foam products used for food and drink are often contaminated with food. The necessary cleaning makes recycling this plastic less cost-effective.
  
  Consumers are encouraged to re-use packaging foam where possible or to drop "peanuts" at shipping locations. Leaders in the foam product industry also sponsor foam plastic recycling programs near their factories.
Plastic Foam Alternatives
- Many packing peanuts are biodegradable plant products instead of plastic.
  
  The "styrofoam peanuts" used to ship your last online purchase may not be plastic at all. Many shippers now use biodegradable packing peanuts made of cornstarch, sorghum or other plant material instead of plastic foam. Biodegradable packing peanuts can be reused or sent to landfills, where contact with water dissolves them. These products can also be composted. To determine whether the peanuts in your box are plastic or biodegradable, drop one in water: if it dissolves in a few minutes, it's biodegradable.

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