Littering many waterways are bits and pieces of those awful, cheap styrofoam coolers that never seem to last more than a season - if you're lucky.

Polystyrene (styrofoam) is derived from crude oil. It's highly flammable and a chemical called benzene, which is a known human carcinogen, is used in its production.

These coolers break down into smaller and smaller pieces over many years and can create havoc in an aquatic environment as some creatures mistake them for food. The ingested polystyrene can then cause digestive tract blockages.

Many households would also have their fair share of retired hard plastic coolers that have seen better days. I have 3 that I now use for storage.

I received a note today from Kevin from Recycooler who has developed a 100% recyclable cooler that should be hitting markets across America soon. Kevin says he has spent 2 years in research and development to bring the Recycooler to reality.


There's not much information on the site as yet, but Recycooler is basically a cellulose cooler made of 60% post consumer content. It has a waterproof inner shell and a printable outer shell. The insulation is made from rigid cellulose board with superior insulation properties.

Kevin says that Recycooler will be priced slightly higher than a polystyrene (Styrofoam) cooler but significantly less than a hard plastic one.

If you're interested in learning more, Kevin can be contacted via his site or via kevin@recycoolinc.com

Related:

Recycling styrofoam