How to Recycle Air Pillows - Everything You Need to Know

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For anyone who frequently ships or receives goods, air pillows are a key part of keeping your cargo safe. They surround your fine china, your game console, your sensitive scientific instruments or whatever you might be shipping, and cushion it to keep it safe and sound while in transit. 

However, when those air cushions begin to pile up, many don’t know what to do with them. Are they reusable? Can they be recycled? Do they have to go to a landfill? And are there options that the average consumer or business can use to make air pillows a little bit easier on the environment? 

As leading experts in shipping and packaging materials of all kinds, Air Sea Containers has the answers. Check out our practical advice for recycling air pillows—as well as a guide to how our preferred 21st-century air pillow, the biodegradable and recyclable Opus Bio Air Pillow, can make disposal easier and more environmentally friendly.  

Reusing and Recycling Conventional Air Pillows

The typical air cushion is made from a thin plastic film that’s recyclable but not biodegradable. The preferred option for any kind of disposable packaging like air pillows is to reuse it if possible. If you or your business ships goods frequently, you may be able to easily find a way to reuse your air pillows. 

However, if you can’t reuse conventional air pillows, you’ll need to dispose of them. And even if you’re reusing your air pillows, they won’t last forever. So, how do you get rid of the air pillows that have begun to deflate and outlived their usefulness? Although many people throw them in the trash, most air pillows are made from recyclable plastic. 

However, you’ll need to take some special steps when recycling your air pillows. Most air pillows can’t be recycled in a normal single-stream curbside recycling bin because their plastic film can get caught on the machinery of recycling plants and cause damage. 

Fortunately, the American Chemistry Council provides a resource called the Plastic Film Recycling Drop-Off Directory. This directory provides locations at which consumers can recycle most types of plastic film, including air pillows but also many kinds of consumer product wrappers. These qualified recyclers are able to handle plastic film recycling, helping to keep more plastic out of landfill waste streams. 

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Opus Bio Air Pillows from Air Sea Containers

Opus Bio Air Pillows are cut from a different cloth than your typical air cushions—or, more accurately, made from a different kind of plastic. Every Opus Bio pillow is made from a special plastic that’s both biodegradable and recyclable, making them a snap to dispose of in a variety of eco-friendly ways. 

First, of course, they’re just as good for reuse as any air pillow. Opus Bio Air Pillows are durable and strong enough for multiple uses and will continue to offer superior performance. Their variety of sizes means that it can even be a great idea to keep multiple types on hand to ensure that you’ve always got the right size available for your void fill applications. But when it’s time to dispose of them, Opus Bio Air Pillows make it easy. 

Believe it or not, Opus Bio Air Pillows can even be composted. They’re safe to add to any normal composting mixture, and they break down completely in 12 to 24 months, so long as composting conditions such as moisture, micro-organisms and oxygen are present. What’s more, their plastic is created using a special additive that leaves behind no residue after they decay, so you won’t have to worry about plastic by-products in your compost. 

Opus Bio 8”x4” Inflatable Air Pillow

If you need more information about our recyclable air pillows or any of our eco-friendly packaging materials, Air Sea’s packaging experts will be glad to help. Call us at (866) 596-9448 or contact us online to get more information on our products and shipping solutions. 

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