Berkeley Parents Network: Recycling Styrofoam

Berkeley Parents Network

Recycling Styrofoam

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Charity, Donations & Recycling > Recycling Styrofoam

Recycling big blocks of styrofoam
Recycling styrofoam blocks from packaging
See also: Where to Recycle Plastics

Recycling big blocks of styrofoam

June 2007

Where can I recycle big blocks of styrofoam that came in huge boxes. Any ideas? Trying to reduce landfill

I recently recycled around six lawn-and-leaf bags full (saved from years of computer and stereo purchasing) of block styrofoam. You can take them to GB Industrial Materials Corp. in Union City. Address is 1528 Atlantic St., phone is 510-489-0881. I recommend calling first to make sure there will be someone there. They also said consumers can just mail the styrofoam to them, but to me that seemed as much effort as just driving to Union City! Tori

I also recently searched far and wide to find a place that would accept a car full of block styrofoam and here's what I came up with. I pulled it off of El Cerrito's recycling homepage:

Block Styrofoam
Q: Can I recycle the large blocks of Styrofoam that came with my new computer?
A: Please do not bring block Styrofoam to the Recycling Center or place it in your curbside bins. Although manufacturers mark block Styrofoam with a recycling symbol, the infrastructure to recycle it in the Bay Area is extremely limited. To recycle Styrofoam, contact Mannequin Madness at (510) 444-0650; this small business often accepts block Styrofoam for reuse in its shipments. Block Styrofoam can also be mailed to GB Industrial, 1528 Atlantic Street, Union City CA 94587 (the material is light, so shipping fees are nominal), or call GB Industrial at (510) 489-0881 to arrange an appointment to drop off your Styrofoam. GB Industrial will reuse the Styrofoam as shipping material.

The mannequin people were thrilled to take it. I simply dropped it off at their house/business over by Grand Lake. Just give them a call. And good job with the 3 R's! Happy Recylcer

Yes! Universal Waste Management 721 37th Ave Oakland www.unwaste.com

They don't take peanuts, but will take the big pieces of styrofoam (along with a multitude of other items mostly for free). A great website for finding where to recycle almost anything in Alameda County is www.stopwaste.org. Michelle

Try your local pack n' mail place. The one near me takes all kinds of weird shapes. I'm sure they use it for packing boxes. I've taken styrofoam to a couple places and every place I've gone has accepted it. j

Recycling styrofoam blocks from packaging

April 2003

Does anyone know what to do with big pieces of styrofoam - the kind that are used to pack appliances, electronics, etc.? Is there a place to recycle them? I hate to throw them out. Thanks. Anon

Tuscarora, a company in Hayward, 785-0220, accepts chunks of styrofoam as from electronics packaging. Got the referral from Alameda County. See www.stopwaste.org/. Rebecca

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