A few years ago, we tried natural packing peanuts. Natural packing peanuts are great for shipping dry goods. They are bio-degradable and that makes them friendlier for the environment than something that might not decompose as easily. When the packing peanuts made from starch touched the moist roots of the plants we were shipping they became soggy and dissolved. Customers would either receive a soggy rotten mess or dried out plants with no packaging material around them.
Until someone can design something that is both bio-degradable and will not break down when it gets wet, we do not have a better solution than foam packing peanuts. They keep plants moist and safe, and they hold up for the entire trip.
Customer service does get calls from time to time about the foam peanut packaging, and we have tried. We have not yet found a dependable replacement. On the other hand, some people like to take helping the environment into their own hands. Reusing the packing peanuts would be one way to keep them out of the land fill. Some of our customers have said that they are great for improving drainage in a large container plant, if you put packing peanuts, instead of gravel in the bottom of your container. There are also local drop-off site, where you can take your packing peanuts after you open your package. These organizations will redistribute these peanuts for companies to reuse and prevent waste. Go to http://www.loosefillpackaging.com/ and look for a drop-off site near you.
If you have any other Ideas for replacing foam packing peanuts, please leave a comment and let us know.
John Durst
Wayside Gardens Voice
jdurst@parkseed.com
My mom always takes her packing peanuts to the kindegarden kids to do arts and carfts with so that is another way to recycle them.
That’s a really good idea, Bertie.