In Washington, Styrofoam is not recyclable through curbside bins, but clean, dry block foam can be recycled at a small number of drop-off locations and through two paid pickup services. The material is too light and bulky for standard sorting equipment, so it has to be handled separately. Washington has also banned the sale of foam food service items and packing peanuts, which is steadily reducing how much foam households need to deal with in the first place.
Which Foam Can Actually Be Recycled
Most Washington drop-off programs accept only white, rigid block foam, the kind that cushions a new television or appliance inside its box. It carries resin identification code #6, usually inside the triangular chasing-arrows symbol.
A quick test: if the material is white, lightweight, and snaps cleanly when you break it, it is expanded polystyrene foam and likely accepted. If it is clear, thin, and slightly flexible, it is rigid polystyrene, and it is generally not accepted at foam recycling drop-offs even though it also carries a #6.
Colored foam, soft cushion foam, and foam insulation boards are different materials from block foam and are usually not accepted at the same locations. Grease-stained takeout containers cannot be recycled at all.
Where to Drop Off Foam in Washington
Curbside pickup is not an option for foam in most Washington communities. You need to bring clean foam to a drop-off site:
- King County transfer stations at Bow Lake and Shoreline accept polystyrene foam blocks and coolers, but not packing peanuts.1King County. Options and Restrictions
- Styro Recycle in Kent, a private drop-off center at 23418 68th Ave. S. (West Valley Hwy.), Kent, WA 98032, takes clean, dry foam that is free of tape and labels. Packing peanuts must be bagged separately.2Styro Recycle. Recycling Center in Kent
- The Recology Store in Bothell accepts foam blocks from Bothell residential customers, up to 32 gallons per customer per day.3Recology. Styrofoam
- Federal Way City Hall has collection bins in the lobby for clean, dry foam blocks and bagged packing peanuts with all tape and labels removed.4City of Federal Way. Styrofoam Recycling
Availability changes. Before you load up the car, check King County’s “What do I do with…?” online tool or call the facility. Outside King County, a search for your city or county plus “foam recycling drop-off” is the quickest way to find current options.
Doorstep Pickup for Foam
Two paid services collect foam from your home in parts of Washington.
Ridwell is a subscription service that picks up foam along with other hard-to-recycle materials on a rotating schedule. Ridwell partners with Styro Recycle to process what it collects. Service areas and pricing vary by ZIP code.5Ridwell. Styrofoam
In Clark County, Waste Connections runs Recycle Plus at $16 per month. The service collects block foam, batteries, light bulbs, and other items every other week. Your first bag of block foam is included; additional bags cost $10 each.6Waste Connections of Washington, Inc. Recycle Plus Service
How to Prep Foam So It Isn’t Rejected
Foam that arrives dirty or covered in tape gets pulled out and sent to the landfill. A few minutes of prep is what makes the trip worth it.
- Rinse off any food residue and let the foam air dry completely.
- Peel off all stickers, shipping labels, and packing tape. Even small strips contaminate the process.
- Bag packing peanuts in a sealed bag. Loose peanuts scatter and clog equipment, and some sites (including King County transfer stations) do not accept them at all.
- Keep foam types separate. White rigid block foam is the most widely accepted; colored, soft, and insulation foams usually are not.
What to Do With Foam You Can’t Recycle
Contaminated, colored, or otherwise unaccepted foam goes in your regular garbage. Bag it before tossing it in the bin. Loose foam is light enough to blow out of trucks and dumpsters and become litter almost immediately.
Why You’re Seeing Less Foam to Begin With
Washington has phased in a statewide ban on many expanded polystyrene products under RCW 70A.245.070, originally enacted as part of Senate Bill 5022 in 2021. As of June 1, 2023, loose-fill packing peanuts can no longer be sold or distributed in Washington. As of June 1, 2024, foam food service products and portable coolers, including foam plates, food containers, clamshell containers, and hot and cold beverage cups, can no longer be sold or distributed in the state.7Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 70A.245.070 – Expanded Polystyrene Prohibitions – Penalty
The ban applies to manufacturers, importers, and distributors, not to individual consumers. Several categories remain legal: foam trays and wrapping for raw meat, fish, poultry, and seafood; foam packaging for vegetables, fruit, and egg cartons; foam containers for drugs, medical devices, and biological materials; and foam coolers used to ship perishable goods from a wholesale or retail business.7Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 70A.245.070 – Expanded Polystyrene Prohibitions – Penalty That is why foam meat trays are still on grocery shelves, and that exempt foam is exactly what you’ll need to bring to a drop-off if you want to keep it out of the trash.