Is EPS Bad for the Environment? An Honest Comparison with Honeycomb and EPP
Short answer: EPS is less harmful to the environment than its reputation suggests: it consists of more than 98% air, is fully recyclable, and has a low CO₂ impact in production. Honeycomb cardboard scores well on recyclability via waste paper streams, but its production requires more water and energy and its insulation value is lower. In most analyses, reusable EPP comes out on top: with 100+ use cycles, the impact per shipment is a fraction of both single-use options.
We hear the question every week: “isn’t EPS bad for the environment?” In this article, we set out the facts and figures — including the less favorable aspects of honeycomb.
EPS: often misunderstood
EPS (expanded polystyrene, often called Tempex or Styrofoam) has a poor reputation, mainly because of the volume it takes up in waste containers. But:
- EPS consists of >98% air. The actual material weight per insulated box is very low — typically 100–300 grams of polystyrene for a box that keeps several kilos of product cool.
- EPS is fully recyclable. Polystyrene can be melted down and reused for new products. The problem in the Netherlands is logistics: there are still too few EPS collection points.
- EPS has a low CO₂ impact in production compared with some alternatives, partly due to its low material weight.
Honeycomb cardboard: not always more sustainable
At first glance, honeycomb seems like the sustainable choice — after all, it goes into the paper recycling bin. But there are caveats:
- Production is energy-intensive. Making honeycomb cardboard requires significantly more water and energy than EPS.
- The insulation performance is lower. To achieve the same temperature performance, you may sometimes need a thicker box, which partly offsets the material advantage.
- FSC is essential. Only FSC-certified honeycomb cardboard is truly produced sustainably.
EPP: often the best environmental choice
EPP (expanded polypropylene) performs best in most analyses because it is reusable:
- An EPP box that is reused 100 times has only a fraction of the CO₂ impact per shipment
- EPP is fully recyclable at the end of its service life
- In practice, its service life is often more than 5 years
The drawback: EPP costs 3–5 times more per unit than EPS. It is only worthwhile in return logistics or for organizations that have control over the entire supply chain.
What does Cooled Solutions do?
We offer all three options and provide honest advice on which one best suits your situation:
- For single-use B2C shipments (online butcher, meal box): honeycomb or EPS — depending on your brand preference and the transit time
- For closed-loop supply chains or B2B: EPP for maximum sustainability
- For pharma with validation requirements: usually EPS or VIP panels — here, performance takes priority over sustainability
View our sustainability page for our full vision, or call +31 (0) 255 234 200 for tailored advice.
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