Since styrofoam isn’t what we call “eco-friendly” you tend to see less and less of it used. Often your packages will come cushioned in air-filled pouches as opposed to those petroleum-based polystyrene packing peanuts, which can take hundreds of years to breakdown in a landfill.
But once in a while, you’ll get a box filled with packing peanuts.
If you feel guilty tossing them into the trash, there are ways you can reuse them. Here are some of those ways.
Bring Your Beanbag Chair Back to Life
If your beanbag chair is a little deflated you can use foam packing peanut to fill it up again.
Potted Plant Drainage
Place foam peanuts at the bottom of your potted plants for some lightweight drainage.
Fix a Screw
If you drilled a hole that is too large for your screw, push your screw into a peanut and screw it into your hole. Just pull away the excess foam.
Safeguard Tools
Place foam packing peanuts on the tips of sharp tools so you don’t get injured while rummaging for them in your tool box.
Give Short Flowers a Boost
If you have flowers that are too short for a vase, you can add some peanuts to the bottom of the vase to give them height.
Use as Insulation
Place your foam peanuts in a sealed plastic bag and put them on top of the ice in your ice chest to insulate the ice.
Use As a Paintbrush
You can use a peanut as a foam brush to paint glue and other adhesives.
Use Them As Spacers and Buffers
You can cut a foam peanut in half and glue it to the back of a hanging mirror or picture frame to protect the wall from scratches.
Keep a Nail in Place
Press a nail into a packing peanut and hold the peanut in place as you tap the nail in. This will help you steady your nail. You can pull the foam away when the nail is halfway in.
Fill a Ditch
Packing peanuts work great to fill in a ditch where you’re laying a pipe. Line your ditch with landscape fabric and a layer of packing peanuts before you lay your pipe in.
Wrap the fabric over the top and backfill your trench, this will allow the water to percolate into your soil while it drains.
Arts, Crafts, and Fun
You can build a cute snowman or use foam peanuts during arts and crafts time. You can also find some games and other activities that use foam peanuts here.
Give Them Back
Donate your packing peanuts to a business that will use them like FedEx.
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