Styrofoam peanuts inspire a love/hate relationship. On the one hand it keeps all our eBay purchases, gifts to the grandchildren and shipments from our favorite online merchants safe, on the other it's impossible to get rid of, goes everywhere and can't be thrown out without endangering the environment. There are several solutions.

-Try using popcorn - just pop up a few kettles of fresh popcorn the next time you have to ship something and you'll protect your valuables, protect the environment and if you pack everything properly you can even feed your recipient.

-You can also buy biodegradable peanuts - a variety made from cornstarch will dissolve in water so they can just be thrown out.

Recycling is the answer for non-biodegradable peanuts - most mail stores will gladly accept your peanuts for reuse, you can keep some on hand for your own mailings or if you're at a loss you can call the Styrofoam Peanut Hotline at 1-800-828-2214.

Episode 205 Main Page