EPS boxes from our own production: from polystyrene bead to cooling box
An EPS box may look simple at first glance: lightweight, white and sturdy. Yet behind that familiar polystyrene foam box is a precise production process. At Cooled Solutions, we manufacture our EPS boxes in-house in the Netherlands, giving us full control over quality, dimensions and delivery times. In this article, we take you behind the scenes: what exactly is EPS, how is it made, and why do we choose Dutch production?
What exactly is EPS?
EPS stands for expanded polystyrene, better known as polystyrene foam or Styrofoam. What makes this material special is that an EPS box consists of approximately 98% air and only 2% polystyrene. It is precisely that trapped air that makes EPS an excellent insulator. The countless closed cells slow down heat transfer, keeping the temperature inside the box stable for a long time — exactly what you need for chilled shipping of fresh and temperature-sensitive products.
EPS is also lightweight, moisture-resistant and shock-absorbing. This not only keeps your products at the right temperature, but also protects them during transport, while the low weight helps reduce your shipping costs. EPS is also fully recyclable through specialist processing.
From polystyrene bead to insulated box
The production of an EPS box takes place in several steps:
1. Pre-expansion
It starts with small polystyrene beads containing a blowing agent. Under the influence of steam, these beads expand to as much as forty times their original volume. What remains are lightweight, air-filled foam beads.
2. Maturing
The pre-expanded beads then rest in silos. During this maturing process, they stabilize and absorb air, making them ready for the next step.
3. Moulding
The matured beads are blown into a mould, where steam is added again. This causes the beads to expand a little further and fuse into a single unit — a solid block or a ready-made box shape.
4. Finishing
After curing, the blocks are cut to size or the boxes come directly out of the mould. The result: an EPS box with exactly the right wall thickness and dimensions for your application.
Why we manufacture in the Netherlands
By producing our EPS boxes in the Netherlands, we retain control over the entire process. This gives you clear advantages:
- Consistent quality — we monitor the density, wall thickness and insulation value of every box ourselves.
- Fast delivery — our standard sizes are in stock and can often be shipped the same day.
- Customisation — need a non-standard size or wall thickness? Thanks to short communication lines, custom solutions are easy to realise.
- Short transport distances — production and storage in the Netherlands mean fewer kilometres and fast availability throughout Europe, and beyond on request.
What our EPS boxes are used for
EPS boxes are the workhorses of the cold chain. We see them used every day across a wide range of sectors:
- Food & fish — fresh fish, meat and meals stay at temperature for hours, without meltwater.
- Pharmaceuticals — medicines and samples travel safely within their prescribed temperature window.
- AGF & flowers — vegetables, fruit and flowers retain their freshness during transport.
- E-commerce — fresh food boxes and chilled parcels arrive fresh and intact at the customer.
Ordering EPS boxes from Cooled Solutions
Whether you need standard sizes from stock or a custom-made box, we are happy to help you find the right solution. View our complete range in the EPS boxes collection, or contact our inside sales team for advice on the right size, wall thickness and insulation value for your shipment.
Order now
Need the right packaging right away? View our Polystyrene Boxes, EPS without drainage holes, EPS with drainage holes, thick-walled EPS and thin-walled EPS.
