How to Recycle Packing Peanuts

They are really fun to play with and kids absolutely love them. The reference here is for packing peanuts. You must have seen them in packages that contain delicate items. These packing peanuts act as cushioning materials just like crushed wrapping paper, but with the added benefit that they are better at filling up voids. 

Packing peanuts are made up of expanded polystyrene (a.k.a plastic #6),and is really helpful in keeping the contents of the package intact. But the widespread usage of this cushioning material gives nightmares to recyclers as it is unclear whether the material can be recycled in the first place. The reason behind the confusion lies in the fact that the peanuts are made from polystyrene and this could make it unrecyclable. But this is not the case!

EPS is recyclable and there are processes which can make the most optimal usage of the material. The issue lies in the acceptance of the material where most curbside options refuse to accept it. Moreover, it is also possible that there might be limited recycling facilities in your region. In case you are not able to get access to either drop off / curbside facility, then you can use a mail back program to ensure that the material is disposed properly. 

The light weight of the peanuts makes it feasible to ship it to a regional recycling facility. But most people would not consider this option. It is more convenient for them to drop off the materials at a local facility. The world has not advanced to a stage where people would go to such lengths to ensure ecological protection. 

In such cases, the most viable option is re-using the packing peanuts. There is nothing complex about reusing it. Just collect all the peanuts from the package in which they arrive and then fill them in the package that you wish to send. If you do not have any use for it, then you can always donate it to the local shipping stores as this would reduce the requirement for using fresh packing peanuts for the packages. 

Always make it a point to conserve such material as much as possible because they can be put to good use and you would play your part in contributing towards encouraging green initiatives.

3 Minute Gift Wrapping Ideas for the Busy Soul

It’s not that you forgot about wrapping up the gifts. You just don’t have the time for it because you are a busy person. It is also possible that you did indeed forget about the gifts and now you are running out of time. If you mess up the wrapping, then you would fail to make an impression on the people receiving the gifts. Creating a presentable wrapping would take some time, which you are clearly running out of. What’s the best thing that can be done?

Here are some amazing gift wrapping ideas that should not take more than 3 minutes to do and they don’t compromise on visual appeal in any way. 

Bon Bon Style Wrap

It just doesnt get any simpler than this. Even if you have less than 2 minutes to make this wrap, you would be able to do it easily. Just keep your gift item on a sheet of paper, fold around completely, pinch the ends and hold in place with a tape, and tie ribbons. It should not take more than 3 minutes to create this classic gift wrap design. 

Fabric Pineapple Wrap

The trick here is to get a good cloth piece with the right colours. This is the only part that would need your time. Once you have it with you, it’s all a matter of placing the object inside and folding up the ends to form a pinched end. With that done, you need to tie the junction and put a ribbon, flowers, balls, etc. That’s about everything that needs to be done here. My guess is that it took you less than 3 minutes (excluding the cloth searching part). 

Pouches

You can find these in your house or office anytime. Even if you do not have them, you can always buy them as they are easily available. This is probably the fastest gift wrapping ideas. It might not exactly be a wrap but at least it makes a good presentation with minimal effort. Just keep the contents inside and tie the end with a simple string. The star of the show is the tag or the label. This is what gains the most attention in this package so make sure you write a nice message or the name of the recipient. 

Simple Box n Ribbon Wrapping

This is a simple gift wrap. There isn’t anything bold about this design. But it is appealing and has a rustic simplicity in it. This can take slightly more than 3 minutes to make but it would be definitely worth the while. Just use a wrapping paper and make sure you use a corrugated box. The box will give you fixed dimensions and it would be easier to work with it. A simple wrapping should not take much time. Now for the fancy flower on the ribbon part, you need to tie the ribbon in a cross like you tie any string. Get a readymade flower or fancy ribbon design and simply stick it on the joint. Voila - you have a neat gift in just over 3 minutes. 

Wrapped in Cloth

If you think that wrapping your gift in a piece of cloth is weird, then check out the traditional gifting style of the Japanese. They have been wrapping their gifts in clothes since ages and it does make a simple yet rustic gift wrapping design. This would take under a minute for the actual wrapping and around 2 minutes for finding the right piece of cloth. Once you have the right piece of cloth (with a pleasing design of course), you simply need to put the item in it and tie it just like you would a bundle.