Rcycling or Disposal of styrofoam coolers?

February 15, 2015 10:20 PM

I get refrigerated medication for my MS. Until recently it was a 3 month supply in a big cooler. Due to new medical they now ship me my meds once a month in a cute Styrofoam cooler. I have about 8 of them. I'm not an environmentalist nut, but I try to recycle to the best of my ability. When I got the big cooler with the 3 month supply I just put it in the lobby of my apartment with a sign that said "free cooler" but now I'm getting tiny ones monthly. I want to recycle, but can you recycle Styrofoam? Can I just toss them in recycling bins? Is there a program that will pick them up?
posted by kaoschild to Grab Bag (10 answers total)

Is your profile location accurate? LA Sanitation accepts Styrofoam in the blue curbside containers (more details from LA Times). The polystyrene industry has a recycling locator if you need a drop off location (although most of their locations appear to only accept packing peanuts).
posted by RichardP at 10:38 PM on February 15, 2015

Can you leave the cooler you get in February out to be picked up when the March cooler is delivered? In other words, would the sender recycle them?
posted by Cranberry at 2:49 AM on February 16, 2015

I have the same issue. I've had some luck with Freecycle. People will take them off your hands and use them to ship food as gifts and things like that. They actually like it if you include the icepacks, too.
posted by hydropsyche at 4:15 AM on February 16, 2015 [2 favorites]

IKEA.
posted by bq at 5:39 AM on February 16, 2015

I wish I was closer, I would love a few! For camping with the Scouts, day trips to the beach, homebrewing beer, and more.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:42 AM on February 16, 2015

I'd see if anyone would want them first. You'd be surprised.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:57 AM on February 16, 2015

I plan on calling the local food banks and local churches and see if they would like them once I get a small stockpile going on.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 8:21 AM on February 16, 2015

I get coolers like this for my ulcerative colitis medication. I have a friend who makes pottery and was thinking about starting an Etsy store, so I gave them to him to use as shipping containers.
posted by MsMolly at 9:38 AM on February 16, 2015

In my area a lot of people use them to make shelters for feral cats. They work really well for this. If your area has cold winters, maybe contact a feral group?

http://www.alleycat.org/ is a national group you may be able to find someone local through them.
posted by RichardHenryYarbo at 12:48 PM on February 16, 2015

Put an ad on the "free" section of Craigslist. Someone will snap them up in no time.
posted by bluesky78987 at 1:59 PM on February 16, 2015