Can you recycle styrofoam?

Expanded polystyrene is about 95% air, which makes it uneconomic to transport and process — the value of the recovered plastic does not cover the cost of moving what is mostly air. A small number of specialist drop-off points compact clean white packaging foam with a densifier, but food containers, cups and packing peanuts contaminated with residue are rejected everywhere. Some shipping stores accept clean packing peanuts for reuse, which is a better outcome than recycling anyway.

What to do instead

• Take clean white block packaging foam to a specialist EPS drop-off if one exists locally.
• Give clean packing peanuts to a shipping store for reuse.
• Everything food-soiled goes in general waste.

Other "can you recycle" questions

• Can you recycle pizza boxes? It depends — Clean parts yes, grease-soaked parts no — tear the box and bin the oily half.
• Can you recycle plastic bags? It depends — Not in kerbside bins. They need a store drop-off point that takes soft plastic film.
• Can you recycle batteries? It depends — Yes, but only at a collection point. Batteries in a kerbside bin start fires.
• Can you recycle coffee cups? It depends — Not in ordinary paper recycling — the plastic lining needs a specialist facility.
• Can you recycle receipts? No — No. Most receipts are thermal paper coated with BPA or BPS and must go in general waste.
• Can you recycle shredded paper? It depends — Often not loose — short fibres fall through the sorting screens. Bag it or check locally.

Kerbside recycling rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always beat general guidance. Check your own collection service before assuming any material is accepted.