How to upcycle styrofoam ice chests?

Barbara Baldwin
by Barbara Baldwin

My medicine is FedEx sent to me. It comes in ice chests. The waste is unimaginable. What can I do with the growing pile of nasty chemicals also known as styrofoam? There's a limit on the number of fishermen who can use them..

  5 answers
  • Hi Barbara,

    You can put an ad in the free section of Craigslist. Someone may have a use for them, especially if you're giving them away.

  • Cindy Cindy on Sep 02, 2018

    Hi Barbara. I'm Cindy. The ice chests could be used as boxes for storage. They would work perfectly to store fragile Christmas decorations. They would also be perfect to cut up and put into flower pots. Stick flowers (real or artificial) into the cut up styrofoam to hold in place. And, last but not least, they could be used to transport your frozen foods from the grocery store to home. Best of luck to you.

  • Dfm Dfm on Sep 02, 2018

    I donate them to a local food pantry....the pantry here in town has a freezer for donated meats, fish, chicken, sausage hamburger most are from the commodities program. Some need to drive a bit to get to the pantry, the baby coolers are the most efficient to keep the smaller amounts cold.

  • Bhi33153868 Bhi33153868 on Sep 02, 2018

    Depending on their size, you can use them:

    1. As flower/vegetable or shrub pots, providing to make holes at the bottom,

    2 . Glue plywood on top, and depending where yo use them, cover with indoor or outdoor fabric, and use them either for sitting/side or coffee table,

    3. Label, and use them for storage. You can store grains, legumes, flour, sugar, soil, etc....in them,

    4. Use them as insulation in your attic, crawl space, basement, garage or around your plants in the winter time,

    5. Sell them... : )

    • Barbara Baldwin Barbara Baldwin on Sep 03, 2018

      You just reminded me..my SO had 110 gallon milk jugs full of water, "just in case", everywhere in our mobile home. I finally got the bright idea to put them in boxes. A tablecloth over the top and voila! a table for my plants..

  • If you are on Nextdoor.com, offer there, I guarantee you will have takers.


    What about where you live, does your trash service not have a recycle program? Mine takes almost everything, it is truly amazing. See what your service might offer.


    Check with the local food bank, they might be able to use them too.