Did you know there are biodegradable packing peanuts now?  Not all of them are biodegradable; some are still the “old-fashioned” styrofoam variety.  But some are biodegradable.

How can you tell?  Well, the biodegradable ones are less starkly white.  And the texture is different.  They look a bit like Cheetos.

If you’re not sure, get one wet and see what happens.  The biodegradable variety will begin to dissolve if placed (or “soaked”) in water.

So you can safely throw these out in the yard and save space in your trash bag — and the landfill.  (You might need to wet them down if it isn’t already raining, though, so they don’t blow away in the meantime.)