I just bought a new computer, and in the box were many styrofoam blocks. I know it can’t really be recycled and turned into something else, but those blocks are undamaged and could probably be used inside another computer box. Do any stores take this stuff back?
Probably not. The same qualities that make styrofoam (a trademarked name incidentally) great as a packaging material also make it notoriously inefficient to recycle. It’s cheap, which means that it’s barely worth reusing to begin with. It’s easy to mold into the exact shape to fit around the product being sold, which will almost certainly be the wrong shape for anything else. And its low density means that you literally wouldn’t break even on the fuel bill for the trucks hauling it. Styrofoam is made of polystyrene, which in its solid form is recycled, standard plastic code number 6. But the foam just isn’t worth it.
Given that what is and is not recyclable varies by location, you’d probably be wise to contact the local waste or recycling agency or company. They can cell you what is and is not recyclable.
It can be re-used, but nobody wants to. As mentioned above there’s hardly any polystyrene in foam, that’s why it’s so light. Most of what we’re talking about isn’t Styrafoam, that’s a trademarked name for polystyrene foam. This stuff in it’s various forms is mostly expanded polystyrene, sometimes extruded polystyrene. You can see how little plastic there is in the foam by dissolving some in acetone. Just use some nail polish remover to try it out. The acetone dissolves the foam leaving a small lump of solid polystyrene. It’s malleable as long as there’s enough acetone present, it can be reused, but people aren’t going to dissolve all the foam they have themselves to make recycling it efficient.
One data point: we get raw cat food delivered from Darwin’s in styrofoam containers. They ask that we leave the old ones out on delivery day to be picked up, so they can reuse them. I’m sure this is an issue of being kind to the environment, rather than a cost issue.
Here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, they are ‘recycled’ by our garbage burner into energy that heats downtown buildings. They burn real good.
If I have big chunks of it like that I take it to the mailroom guy at work. He can always find something to re-use it for.
Our post office will take them, and there’s a pay-to-reuse/recycle place that will take them.