Coach’s Guide to Foam Packaging

Coach's Guide to Recycling Waste Foam Packaging

The Recycle BC residential recycling program accepts specific foam packaging used to package a variety of items including, but not limited to:

  • Household electronics
  • Appliances
  • Food:
    • Egg cartons
    • Trays for meat
    • Seafood, or vegetables
    • Take-out container
This packaging is often referred to as polyethylene foam, polystyrene, or the brand name, “Styrofoam”. This foam is often lightweight; its primary function is to provide protection for its contents.

 
Foam packaging is accepted for recycling at all Recycle BC depots and should not be placed in curbside or multi-family collection containers as it breaks and crumbles easily during the collection process. The broken pieces are difficult to separate from other recyclables and this mixture of materials is incompatible with the recycling process, meaning that neither the foam nor the other materials can be recycled properly.

Best Practices

To best prepare your foam packaging, please:

1. Remove anything that isn’t foam

Plastic wrap, leftover food, tape, labels, or anything else that isn’t foam from should be removed

2. Separate foam by white and coloured

Coloured foam falls into a separate category, and both types of foam behave differently in the recycling process. Foam packaging that is mostly white but has coloured specs or ink print belongs with coloured foam.

Once separated, foam is compressed so that it can be shipped to a material remanufacturer where it can become items like picture frames, park benches, and more.

Does it ‘Snap’, or ‘Squish’?

There are other types of foam packaging in use, but these are not accepted in the Recycle BC program as they are incompatible with current recycling processes. You can tell the difference between the foam packaging that is accepted and not accepted in a couple ways:

  1. If the foam snaps when it is bent, it is accepted

  1. If the foam is easy to squish, is a bag, or is flexible wrapping, it’s not accepted, with one exception: squishy cushion packaging (polyethylene foam).

Squishy foam packaging (polyethylene foam) is accepted with flexible plastics at any Recycle BC depot, or with your flexible plastics box (region-specific).

Not Accepted

  • Packing peanuts are often made from cornstarch and are not accepted
  • Foam noodles, pillows, mattresses, or other furniture are products and made from different foam than is accepted
  • Foam insulation is a product where chemicals are typically applied to it which makes it incompatible with the recycling process and hazardous for workers

Key Points to Remember: 

  • Recycle firm foam packaging that can ‘snap’, or is squishy foam packaging only (no other ‘squishy’ or flexible foam or foam products) at a Recycle BC depot
  • Remove tape, labels, and anything that isn’t foam 
  • Sort into coloured and white

  • Return your foam packaging to a Recycle BC depot or London Drugs location. Visit RecycleBC.ca/Depots to see a full list of depots near you.

 

 

We are grateful to live, work, and be in relation with First Nation and other Indigenous people from across many traditional and unceded territories, covering all regions of British Columbia. We value the opportunity to learn and share experiences on this traditional territory. The Indigenous communities were the original stewards of the environment, and they continue to fulfill that role today. We are proud to both collaborate with First Nations as well as commit to that work ourselves.

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