How can I reuse or recycle … thin sheets of packing foam?

Thin sheets of foamWe bought a flat-packed side table from Ikea a few weeks ago (to be my home office so my junk doesn’t pile up right across the living room) and its individual flat pieces were wrapped in thin sheets of foam to stop them scratching each other in transit.

The sheets are about 50cm wide and 1m in length, but only about 1mm thick so pretty see-through.

We don’t really have anything we need to pack up at the moment and while I’m not opposed to keeping it around until we have something to pack, if we can use it for anything else in the meantime, that would be good. So any suggestions?

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22 Responses to “How can I reuse or recycle … thin sheets of packing foam?”


  1. You could give them to a local buisness and they could re-use them for their own packaging…

  2. Rosie says:

    Put it under things to prevent scratching..as it is thin it wont be too obtrusive?
    you culd also cut it to size and stick it to the base?

  3. Amanda Kerik says:

    This is an excellent insulator!

    Wrap it around pipes and your water heater – keeping clear of where the pilot light / burning area is.
    Put it over windows in the winter – double-sided tape works well to hold it down.
    Use it to wrap CD’s before you mail them.
    Use it to quickly wrap around plants to (hopefully) ward off frost.
    Put it under carpeting for slight cushioning.
    Layer it to wrap / cover sharp corners / edges (temporarily, of course) of furniture.

    • Anonymous says:

      Thank you so much for this answer… Now that I’m satisfied with the fact that thin packing foam sheets insulate really well , I can move on with my project.

  4. Rosie Angel says:

    In the hot weahter..later in the year(I Hope) soak with water and place under plant pots. stand on a tray first or other shallow flat ontainer to keep the lnts moist?

  5. Nigello says:

    At risk of sounding like a one trick pony (cf bubble wrap comments), use it to wrap around wine or pop bottles to keep them chilled. Two or three pieces could do the trick.

  6. Nigello says:

    Wrap it around bottles to keep them cool.

  7. steve b. says:

    I’m looking for some thin white foam for making some gaskets. Do you want to part with any?
    Thanks, Steve

  8. Mea says:

    I used these to make window quilts last winter. Put a few layers inside a pillow case and stuck it on the window. Works very well as an insulator yet some light still gets in.

  9. Liz says:

    Get a few sheets and put them into a plastic bag. They make an excellent padded seat for music festivals and they fold up to pack away in your bag when you are walking aroung the site

  10. renee says:

    A great friend of mine made her wedding dress from them!

  11. Pat says:

    they would be great plate dividers when packing for moving

  12. Shorty says:

    I don’t know but I know about those big sheets of white styrofoam. The kind that’s super light and you can pull out those little white balls from it. I once saw on a craft show this lady made some great place card holders from it. If I can find the video, I’ll post it here.

  13. Lizzy says:

    Insulating stuff – pipes etc , or you could use it suspended between a bamboo cane tipi to make a greenhouse if it’s fairly seethrough .
    Someone in your freecycle group may be moving house – may they like it?

  14. bisybut says:

    be careful insulating that stuff is highly flameable..

  15. Olia says:

    Cut out shoe inserts for a softer walk.

  16. Larry says:

    If enough sheets are available, use to replace worn out furniture cushion stuffing. Cut sheets to size and layer to the correct thickness, then stuff into casing. Might be a bit on the firm side, but should last a long time.

  17. Uluska says:

    Place it under the carpet for a softer walk.

  18. Lim says:

    I have many sheets of the material. I had ém in the basement since 2011 and I noticed when unpacking ém that they have some loose fiber coming off when I pick ém up to saperate ém. Does this mean that the material is not good to use in packing anymore ? Or can I still use ém but just wipe off the fibers ?

    All comments welcome.
    Thx in advance.
    Lim

  19. Twinkle says:

    Use it to babyproof your room if you have a kid or give it to a friend who has a kid.



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