how to dispose of styro shippers

i’ve never been able to throw these away, and now years later i’ve got quite the stash.
obviously they take up a lot of room, and other than being used to send wine to myself when i travel i have no use for them.
seperate, recycle the cardboard, styro out with the regular trash?

I actually found a venue here in Atlanta that recycles the styro and it’s been a huge relief not to just toss it in the landfill.

Maybe there are similar options or companies in your locale?

Years ago I found a place that would recycle anything polystyrene because they manufactured it. Recently I saw a place that would take it as long as it wasn’t peanuts. I would get in touch with your local municipality and see if they have a policy or a contact.

Contact local wine shops or wine storage facilities. These boxes are expensive, and the operators will be glad to get them for free.

Also, I post them on Craiglist, where subscribers quickly grab them.

thanks all will make some phone calls on monday

Eric, where are you disposing of your styrofoam? I have a lot I need to get rid of.

I wish I were closer, I’d reuse them!

+1 on re-using them. I let all my friends know that I will gladly pickup their used shippers. Wineries and wine stores generally are happy to take them if they are still in good shape. Start there before breaking them down!

Most Wine shops will take them and reuse them. please do not destroy get them to a shop or put them up for free on Craigslist or in the CC section of this board. Someone is always looking for them you can mostly just leave them on a porch and people come get them no fuss no muss

Also check your local residential recycling rules. In Los Angeles, styro and cardboard can be placed into our recycling bins.

I am allowed to put mine out with the normal trash. The cardboard boxes go in the recyclables.

I usually go to the OFW location. There are some stipulations about what they will take on the website worth noting.

Stick them in the attic - added insulation

Contact local wine shops or wine storage facilities. These boxes are expensive, and the operators will be glad to get them for free.

Some will. I’ve disposed of dozens that way in NY. More recently I had a number of them out in CA. A few dozen. Not wanting to throw them out, I called K&L. They told me that they’d love to take them but it was actually illegal in CA.

I have no idea whether that’s really true or not, but they believe it is and consequently, they reluctantly refused, although they thanked me for the thought. If that’s true, I have no idea why it would be. For a state that just banned plastic grocery bags, you’d think they’d be on the cutting edge of recycling.

But you can dissolve the styro with orange oil and make glue, or dissolve it in acetone or some other organic solvent and just reduce it to a small piece of plastic. It is mostly air, so you reduce a whole case shipper to a very small item.

My main source for wine in New York includes a label in the box that can be used to ship the empty box back to them for reuse. They charge you for the shipper when you order, and give you a credit when it is returned. Very slick!

Didn’t compare these two sites, might be identical.

https://www.dartcontainer.com/environment/ps-foam-recycling/

Not sure if that was intended as a serious suggestion. However, if anyone is tempted to follow the advice, don’t do it unless you know for sure it has been given a fire-retardant treatment. I suspect packing material has not, and as such it is highly flammable.

the R value of most Styro is only 5, not much (but something). Give it to a local wine store to reuse; some even buy it.

I now take them to Sec Wines when I pick up an order. StoryTeller used to give me a $3 discount for the styro ones. I also bring along my 6 bottle shopping bags when picking up, 2 bags are easier to carry than a case.