Sustainability

Sustainablity Facts about EPS

The ability to conserve and protect valuable resources as well as reduce CO2 emissions are important environmental concerns. EPS makes contributions towards conserving the environment in numerous ways.

EPS Is Safe & Healthy Throughout Its Life Cycle:

  • Made of 98 percent air, EPS is an intert material, without harmful chemicals that off-gas or leach during its use or disposal.
  • EPS is widely recognised as a safe packaging choice for use in food contact by government regulatory agencies worldwide.

Meets Performance & Cost Criteria:

  • Because of its versatility EPS offers significant savings in design and development, product assembly and distribution costs. This minimises damage rates which saves money and valuable resources.
  • With customized packaging designs EPS delivers exactly the right amount of product protection. The high tensile strength and cellular structure give this lightweight product exceptional cushioning properties. Again, saving valuable resources.

Maximizes Renewable or Recycled Source Materials

  • Recycled EPS is used in both closed-loop and open-loop processes to make a variety of applications from recycled-content foam packaging to durable goods and innovative new building products.
  • In 2010 more than 52% of all EPS collected for recycling was used to make recycled-content packaging.

Uses Clean Production Technologies & Best Practices

  • Innovations in manufacturing technologies ensure EPS production minimizes energy consumption with mold cavities that cool more quickly and processes that recycle water and recapture air emissions.
  • Many EPS manufacturers are ISO certified.

Physically Designed To Optimize Materials & Energy

  • EPS feedstock is converted into a finished product 32 times its original volume—virtually turning air into a strong and efficient packaging material.
  • If all EPS packaging were replaced with corrugated cardboard, paper, wood, molded fiber etc., compared with current figures raw material requirements would rise to 560%, power consumption to 215% and the landfill volume to 150%.

For more information on the sustainability of EPS please read more at www.epsindustry.org/eps-sustainability