| We do everything we can to do our part in the | | | | other small packing and shipping centers will |
| effort to protect the environment. We recycle. | | | | accept your peanuts to reuse. Contact your local |
| We take extra care to combine errands so we | | | | store for verification. If you have trouble finding a |
| don't waste gasoline (especially at these prices). | | | | drop-off location, please visit for information on |
| We even make purchases online to save energy | | | | businesses and centers willing to accept used |
| and keep the paper catalogs at bay. And if you | | | | peanuts or call the Plastic Loose Fill Council's |
| are like me, you just love getting packages in the | | | | Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214. Get your creative |
| mail. Except... when I open the package and find | | | | juices flowing |
| that my item has been protected from damage | | | | Now we know how to recycle those pesky |
| in shipping with the dreaded polystyrene packing | | | | peanuts, but before we get rid of them, let's ask |
| peanuts! Not only do these pesky peanuts make | | | | ourselves what other uses we might find for the |
| a huge mess, they are utterly indestructible. When | | | | peanuts. Can we think of ways we can convert |
| these things end up in landfills, they NEVER | | | | our trash into treasure? Here are a few ideas to |
| degrade. Future inhabitants of our planet will be | | | | get us started. |
| able to study our culture using these suckers. | | | | - The holidays are fast approaching, so any |
| So what do we do? | | | | peanuts we have left over after using them to |
| 1. The best alternative is to simply not use these | | | | safeguard the gifts we're shipping can be used for |
| peanuts. There are alternative packing peanuts | | | | decoration. Use a needle and strong thread to |
| available made from starch that almost instantly | | | | string the peanuts like popcorn to use as a |
| dissolve in water. Ask your online retailer to begin | | | | garland for your tree. |
| using this more environmentally friendly alternative | | | | - Place a few peanuts in the bottom of a planter |
| to polystyrene. | | | | before inserting your plant to conserve soil and to |
| 2. When you receive a package packed in | | | | help drainage. Be sure not to use too many or to |
| peanuts, test them by running one under water | | | | block the drainage hole completely. |
| to see if it dissolves. If so, you can simply dump | | | | - Use an old zippered pillowcase and fill it with |
| them in your sink a little at a time and run the | | | | peanuts. This makes an inexpensive pet bed or a |
| dissolved peanuts down the drain. They are safe | | | | "bean" bag chair. |
| for the water supply since they are made from | | | | - Dip the peanuts in paint and use for creative |
| vegetable and other organic matter. | | | | stamps. Many peanuts look like letters or you can |
| 3. When the peanuts don't dissolve, there are a | | | | cut them into whatever shape you'd like. If you |
| few things we can do. When you have a package | | | | are a scrapbooker, this is a great way to add a |
| to ship that requires a bit of protection, use the | | | | creative splash to a page. |
| peanuts. Ask your recipient to do the same. At | | | | - Crumble the peanuts into pieces and use them |
| least they don't end up in a landfill immediately. | | | | as faux snow in our winter decorations. Even |
| 4. If you don't like the idea of keeping the | | | | simple actions can help us protect our |
| peanuts around the house, there are several | | | | environment. The more we do, the more we |
| centers and stores that will take them to reuse. | | | | help, the more our world benefits. |
| Many UPS Stores, Mailboxes Etc., PostNet, and | | | | |