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Styrofoam overload
So this is kind of a random topic but something that I feel pretty good about. As a person who is very passionate about the environment, I found something that I could do with all the wasteful styrofoam coolers that we get every month. I researched local styrofoam recycling in my area to see if there even was such a thing and found a place not super close but not terribly far away. So I went to there and found their email and asked them if I could drop off my coolers. Right away I got a response from a really nice employee saying that even though they normally only accept styrofoam products from local in-town residents, that they would make an exception and take them from me as well and that I could drop them off whenever. And when I got there and told the man that I had permission to drop them he was super nice and said come by anytime and feel free to ask for me. So what I do now is every time I collect about 10 or so coolers, I take a 35 to 40 minute drive to the recycling facility and drop them off. Something small but makes me feel good to do it and not dispose of them irresponsibly. Just a tip for anyone who may be interested in trying to find a place in their area
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7 Replies
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Great suggestion! I hate just throwing them out. Another option is to see if your local animal shelter could use them. I’ve seen where they could be turned into feral cat shelters. Of course maybe they’d just roll their eyes at you but you never know.
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Good for you. Those Evrysdi coolers mount up fast and we were also fortunate to find a recycler in my area that will take them.
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That’s awesome! I don’t take Evrysdi but know what you mean about all the wasteful packaging we get every month with our medical supplies.
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There is local Styrofoam recycling in a suburb about 15 miles away from me, they do an annual announcement to the nearby communities that they are available. I saved up about 10 of my coolers and other random Styrofoam packaging and dropped them off for the first time earlier this year. I’m just about ready to take another batch.
However, this place is very particular on having every single little piece of tape removed before handing it off to them, so you may want to check with your recycler before taking your stuff there!
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Yes they are very particular about making sure all labels and pieces of tape are off. That I know because I’ve already been taking them to the recycler since last spring. It probably messes up the process if pieces of tape or paper get in it
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I don’t think we have anything like that near me, but I have been able to share all of mine with people who will use them. I find that if I put them out on the curb, with a free sign, they almost always get taken by neighbors. Other times, I bring them to a local women who makes soups and other yummy stuff and sells them from her home. That way she can pack each person’s order before they come to get it and they don’t have to bring their own cooler.
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I honestly didn’t think there was anything like that by me either because I’ve never heard of it, but was pleasantly surprised when I did the research.
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