How to Recycle Styrofoam

Recycling Styrofoam, instead of throwing it straight into the waste receptacle, feels great. By being more mindful, you are helping preserve the environment. Additionally, there are some pretty neat crafts and art projects for children and the adults, as well as home and holiday decorations that you can make out of Styrofoam, which will probably make your recycling experience even more enjoyable. The following are guidelines for recycling this material.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Think about how well Styrofoam floats and some neat ideas will come to mind. Using pieces of Styrofoam, with or without neon paint, for fishing floats of all sizes is a good way to use it. You can also make pool, bath and beach toys for the kids. Cut out simple boat shapes, and make a sail with a Popsicle stick, toothpick or lollipop stick, and add a piece of paper or scrap of fabric for a little sail boat. If you have big sheets or thick pieces of Styrofoam, you can even make some rings or squares that kids can float on in the pool.

2. Use Styrofoam boxes that are used for leftovers to germinate seeds. You can poke some holes in the bottom layer, add a little dirt and add seeds and water. You can also use them for drying seeds that you get out of fresh fruits and vegetables. Peanuts cut in smaller pieces or any Styrofoam cut up make great drainage material in the bottom of plant containers. Put Styrofoam blocks into vases for silk flower arrangements. Cut flat strips to use as plant markers, too. Just write on them with a marker and stick one end in the ground. Use Styrofoam under pumpkins and squashes in the garden, so that they don't grow mushy at the bottom.

3. Keep the flat Styrofoam meat trays with the small lip for craft days. They are great for paints, watercolors and making clay dough things with. You can cut shapes out of them and paint them for Easter or Christmas decorations, too. Use a coloring book with simple holiday shapes to trace or make a template to trace. Kids can paint, glue and add fabric and ribbons to them with all your leftover scraps and have a ball. They love to see what they made on a Christmas tree, and you can make a tabletop Easter or any holiday tree as well.

4. Keep in mind that you can use old peanuts and flat pieces or other shapes torn in small flat pieces as insulation. In sheds or even attics where insulation is skimpy, this stuff is great. You can staple it inside a dog house and it will really warm it up nicely. Think about how hot it keeps drinks and food and it will make sense as an insulator. Save peanuts for re-mailing your next packages or for filling up bean bag chairs.

5. Wrap the Styrofoam trays in aluminum foil and add homemade goodies. Cover them with colored plastic wrap and tie it up with a bow for a really nice gift for a holiday or housewarming present. You can make little houses and trains for the holiday season. Cut-outs can include Thanksgiving turkeys, Halloween pumpkins and ghosts, and Easter eggs and chicks. For lots of great craft ideas using Styrofoam, see the Resources section for a link.

Tips & Warnings

• If you get large sheets of Styrofoam, these are excellent for insulating attics, sheds or shops.

• Don't burn Styrofoam, as it emits toxic fumes.

Resources

• Family crafts