UW Recycling does not accept Styrofoam from off campus.
If you are looking for local resources to dispose of Styrofoam, please consult King County Solid Waste Division’s What do I do with…? tool and Seattle Public Utilities’ Special Item Collections.
What is acceptable
The following materials are accepted by UW Recycling for a self-serve recycling program. Please remove all tape and labels, then bag separately by type (listed below). Custodians are not responsible for transporting these materials:
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Packing peanuts (compostable okay)
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Rigid Styrofoam and polystyrene blocks/boxes
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Styrofoam and polystyrene trays
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LDPE/polyethylene #4 foam (flexible foam) blocks/boxes
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LDPE/polyethylene #4 foam (flexible foam) sheets
What is not acceptable
- Soft foam (egg crate/upholstery foam)
- Polyurethane foam (sponges/mattress toppers)
- Foam cups or food containers
- Instapak/sealed air or insulation foam
- Biomedical waste
Instructions:
- All materials must be clean, empty and bagged separately (otherwise they will be discarded as garbage). This means no tape, labels, ice packs, paper, etc.
- Collect separately in your own clear bags.
- Tie off full bags securely and label them with your department’s name and box number.
- Place bags next to recycling containers at building’s loading dock or service area.
- Do not block doors or walkways.
- After bags have been placed at the dock, email recycle@uw.edu. Materials will be collected during the next regularly scheduled stop at your building.
Large volumes
UW Recycling provides large clear bags to collect packing peanuts, Styrofoam/polystyrene blocks and boxes for most campus locations. Contact UW Recycling if you would like to establish a packing peanut or Styrofoam collection container, or an internal bag distribution location. You can also order styrofoam collection bags online.