Reusing Packaging Materials
Envelopes, bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, air packets, and cardboard boxes are easily reused at home. Save them for birthdays and holidays!
If you have too much of these materials on hand, take them to one of the locations below.
Packaging Material Reuse
Shipping businesses want your packaging materials. No really, they do! Every item you give them is one they don't have to buy themselves. Some examples include:
- Cardboard Boxes
- Styrofoam Peanuts (Note that food-contaminated styrofoam is trash)
- Occasionally Styrofoam Framing
- Air Packets (call and check)
- Bubble Wrap
Make sure all materials are clean, free of tape, and suitable for reuse. Loose peanuts should be bagged. When in doubt, call the location ahead of time to confirm whether they'll accept the material.
What about damaged or dirty packaging materials?
Recycle ripped cardboard boxes, trash dirty styrofoam, and include popped air packets with #2 or #4 on them with your plastic bags.
How can I reduce packaging waste?
Everything we buy seems to come in a cardboard box filled with styrofoam, dipped in plastic, and wrapped in a bag. Read our Reduce Tips page for helpful hints.
Where to go
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All of Santa Barbara County (2)
- Craigslist
- Junk Recyclers — 6520 Platt Avenue #650
-
Santa Barbara Area (10)
- Art From Scrap — 302 E Cota St
- Mail Box Express — 133 East De La Guerra
- Montecito Executive Services aka UPS Authorized Shipper — 1482 East Valley Road
- Santa Barbara Pack and Post — 3463 State Street
- The Mailbox — 5142 Hollister Avenue
- The Packaging Store — 126 East Haley Street, Suite #A-4
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 1187 Coast Village Road
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 315 Meigs Road, Suite A
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 3905 State Street, Suite 7
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 27 West Anapamu Street, Suite 101
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Goleta & UCSB Area (3)
- Copyright Printing — 5710 Hollister Avenue
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 7127 Hollister Avenue, Suite 25A
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 5662 Calle Real
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Lompoc Valley & VAFB (1)
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 1305 North "H" Street
-
Santa Maria Valley (3)
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 221 Town Center West
- The United Parcel Service (UPS) Store — 1130 East Clark Avenue
- Vocational Training Center (VTC) Enterprises Thrift Store — 529 South Blosser Road
-
Outside Santa Barbara County (3)
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