Styrofoam...ugh

[204467]

My dad just got a desk shipped to him and the styrofoam packing stuff (not the pellets; I'll get to those later) really pissed me off. I mean, I've always hated styrofoam. It breaks up into little itty-bitty pieces that suck to clean up, it makes that horrible squeaking sound along your spine, and to top it all off, it's generally non-recyclable (and when it is, it's very expensive to do so). And the packing peanuts, they get EVERYWHERE when you open them and they stick to anything with the slightest static cling (which means everything, since they're slightly charged themselves). I mean, humans have put a man on the moon, you'd think that we would be able to invent a lightweight, cheap, recyclable packing material by now. Your thoughts?

P.S. Ten awesome points for whoever can tell me who said this and where it's from.

"Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

 

[Gray-Wolf]

The product is Highly useable, so it's not likely to go anywhere any time soon. Use a vacuum cleaner to clean it up.

As to disposal, use a heat-gun or blow-dryer on high heat, and it shrinks to next to nothing.

 

[iShater]

and they don't get recycled in most places. Not sure why they don't get picked up.

 

[thomahawk]

styrofoam is like one of the "best" things to pack boxs and packages with cuz if you used those "popcorn" ones which goes in every inch of the place. and not only that the product shifts more than what styrofom which is just a piece of cushion thats imobile and you wont have to worry about the product.

i say just deal with the mess and sound, because if it werent for it your stuff would be knocked out.

 

[Legolamb]

P.S. Ten awesome points for whoever can tell me who said this and where it's from.

"Life goes by pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Ferris Bueller, my philosopher of choice in my all time , feel-good, movie.
And yeah, styro sucks.

 

[204467]

Ferris Bueller, my philosopher of choice in my all time , feel-good, movie.
And yeah, styro sucks.

10 points for you sir!

 

[Legolamb]

Actually, it's the ma'am but I'll take the prize, "It's so choice".

 

[204467]

Actually, it's the ma'am but I'll take the prize, "It's so choice".

You know, I had this weird feeling that I would be wrong when I said "sir". I apologize.

 

[Melrose]

I think Styrofoam is awful - from an environmental standpoint if nothing else, which is the biggest reason - and I always bring my own cup/mug with me if I can. Most places are great about giving you a bit of discount (heck, even if it's only $0.10). When I'm forced to use Styro, I always hang on to my cup so I can reuse it later.

 

[204467]

Ferris Bueller, my philosopher of choice in my all time , feel-good, movie.
And yeah, styro sucks.

I think Styrofoam is awful - from an environmental standpoint if nothing else, which is the biggest reason - and I always bring my own cup/mug with me if I can. Most places are great about giving you a bit of discount (heck, even if it's only $0.10). When I'm forced to use Styro, I always hang on to my cup so I can reuse it later.

Good for you, melrose. But I still think it's kind of funny that two people here call styrofoam "styro". Is that a dialect with which I'm not familiar, or is it just Internet shorthand?

 

[SkyBell]

Good for you, melrose. But I still think it's kind of funny that two people here call styrofoam "styro". Is that a dialect with which I'm not familiar, or is it just Internet shorthand?

When people know you're talking about styrofoam, it's often shortened like that.

 

[EricNau]

I like the inflated plastic pillows. Easy to use, and easy to dispose.

 

[Melrose]

Good for you, melrose. But I still think it's kind of funny that two people here call styrofoam "styro". Is that a dialect with which I'm not familiar, or is it just Internet shorthand?

I must confess I just picked it up from the RAP (Respectable Above Poster). It works though - I don't think many people wouldn't know what you're talking about...

My mom sells those packing peanuts on eBay and makes a nice little side bit of money. My dad brings it home from work in trunk loads rather than throw it out... Recycle, recycle!

 

[204467]

I like the inflated plastic pillows. Easy to use, and easy to dispose.

Yes! Like in certain Amazon orders! I love those things.

I must confess I just picked it up from the RAP (Respectable Above Poster). It works though - I don't think many people wouldn't know what you're talking about...

My mom sells those packing peanuts on eBay and makes a nice little side bit of money. My dad brings it home from work in trunk loads rather than throw it out... Recycle, recycle!

Again, congrats on your environmentally aware attitude. It's people like you who are helping to save the Earth.

 

[MonksMac]

Styrofoam is annoying and makes an awful sound when it rubs together. The packing peanuts are better but not by much.

 

[bassproguy07]

Being a surfer, I depend on things like EPS ( expanded Poly Styrene) for my boards. Most all surfboards are made from a blank of either poly styrene or expanded poly styrene. Sure the stuff is bad for the environment but only when used in things like you describe. It does have its good uses though!!

 

[Afini]

I love the giant bubble wrap, I used to lay them all over the floor and jump on them at work.

 

[Woder-Woman]

I love the giant bubble wrap, I used to lay them all over the floor and jump on them at work.

Im glad some one else does that too

The only good thing about the little peanut bits is if you get a box of the and just tip them over someone.

But i recently purchased a a desk and schtumple and i took it out of the box and all of the styrofoam was actually broken so its not always great...

 

[pooryou]

Styrofoam doesn't belong near food in my opinion.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I think Styrofoam is awful - from an environmental standpoint if nothing else, which is the biggest reason - and I always bring my own cup/mug with me if I can. Most places are great about giving you a bit of discount (heck, even if it's only $0.10). When I'm forced to use Styro, I always hang on to my cup so I can reuse it later.

Agree completely; it's a horror, especially for tea or coffee, I far prefer a cup or mug - the drink tastes far better, too, when served properly. Re packing, again, I feel that it is an environmental disaster, but, unfortunately, has its uses. A round of applause to your parents, Melrose, both for their attitude and their actions - that is really impressive.

Styrofoam doesn't belong near food in my opinion.

Hear, hear; it does not; nor does it belong anywhere near any liquid.

Cheers

 

[Schtumple]

I can't stand the stuff, I'd love for a recyclable alternative to be found, one that doesn't chip off loads of bits if you so much as put it on the floor a bit too violently...

 

[kwood]

Styrofoam is recyclable where I'm at (Ontario Canada). If it fits in the roadside blue box they recycle truck takes it away no questions asked. If the chunks are too big (like when you buy a new computer) I can drive down to the recycle plant and drop it off in a bin down there at no charge.

This is why I don't have a problem with Styrofoam, it's cheap, can be molded to fit around the product protecting against damage, and here it is recyclable.

 

[Melrose]

A round of applause to your parents, Melrose, both for their attitude and their actions - that is really impressive.

Yeah she's got several customers that are regulars - I think they are Powersellers or something and they know where to come for packing materials...

 

[dopey220]

There are packing peanuts made of corn starch now, completely biodegradable. My physics teaher in high school used to give them to us to eat whenever he ordered new lab equipment. They taste sort of like cheese-less curly cheetos, if that makes any sense.

The fact that they're biodegradable is all well and good, but the novelty will wear off sooner or later. If they start to become more commonplace, I'll have to lump the idea in with Ethanol fuel in my list of stupid ideas. I mean, it's food, for chrissakes. It should be used as such. There are people starving all over the world, and we're using it to cushion items in shipping and fuel our cars?

 

[mrgreen4242]

This was mentioned, but I thought it bore repeats: styrofoam is almost all air. There' actually very little material in it, and that really lowers it's environmental impact. It's not so terrible. Aside from being reusable almost indefinately (also mentioned by the foam reseller) which is much better than recycling, it can be melted down before being trashed and it takes up a tiny percentage of its original volume.

It's incredibly handy and good at what it's for, so I'm going to say I'm a fan.