Is EPS (polystyrene foam) really that bad? An honest look

EPS — also known as styrofoam or tempex — has been under pressure for years in the sustainability debate. "Single-use," "poorly recyclable," "polluting": the associations are rarely positive. But is that perception still accurate? An honest look.

What EPS really is

EPS (expanded polystyrene) consists of more than 98% air. The remaining 2% is polystyrene, a plastic that is basically well recyclable. The material itself is therefore extremely light and contains surprisingly little raw material per box.

The real problem: logistics, not material

The EPS recycling problem in the Netherlands is not in the material, but in the collection. EPS boxes often end up in residual waste because:

• Many municipalities do not have separate EPS collection
• EPS is bulky and thus requires many transport kilometers per kilo
• Consumers do not always know where they can return it

Where it does work

In countries like Germany and Belgium, EPS is recycled on a large scale through specialized collection points. At larger companies — for example supermarket chains and fulfillment centers — a closed EPS chain is increasingly emerging: boxes are collected centrally, compressed, and returned as raw material to EPS producers. This makes EPS effectively circular.

What Cooled Solutions is working on

We refer customers to local EPS collection points where possible, and offer solutions for central returns for B2B customers with larger volumes. In addition, we invest in alternatives for shipments where EPS is not the best choice — such as honeycomb cardboard for 24-hour shipments that can go in the paper container.

EPS versus honeycomb: when to use which?

EPS remains the best choice for:

• Shipments with high insulation requirements (48h+)
• Heavy products where EPS sturdiness matters
• Applications where weight and transport costs are critical

Honeycomb cardboard is a better choice for:

• Webshop shipments up to 24h where consumers can put the box in the paper container
• Brand marketing applications where the box supports sustainability positioning
• FSC-mandated chains

Conclusion

EPS is not inherently bad — it is an efficient material with a logistical challenge. If you seriously consider sustainability, choose the right material per shipment type instead of banning one material. Our advisors are happy to help you with that decision.