Is Polystyrene Recyclable?
Yes, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) can be recycled and is recycled up and down the UK and around the world. It is one of the most efficient and cost effective insulating materials on the planet. Its low rate of thermal conductivity makes it super reliable for transporting temperature sensitive products.
Not many people know that EPS is 100% recyclable. Clean material can be reused in the manufacturing process of new poly boxes. Any slightly contaminated material can be compacted and turned into recycled rigid plastic products.
Expanded Polystyrene is very similar to a party balloon because what you see, when you look at a piece of EPS or a balloon is only the 2% of what makes up the items final shape. The 98% of the object that you do not see is thin air!
EPS has an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of zero and causes no damage to the ozone layer because no CFC’s or HCFC’s are used during the manufacturing process. EPS is inert, does not leach any chemicals and is completely food contact safe.
Why Is It Effective
Expanded Polystyrene is an effective insulator because it's packed full of tiny air pockets. Air is a very poor conductor of heat so heat transfer is minimised.
A Closer Look
Move closer and you start to see the inner structure of the individual EPS beads.
Even Closer
Move even closer and you can see the microscopic walls that trap the air. There can be as many as 16,000 cells (air pockets) per bead of EPS.
Reuse ideas for polystyrene boxes!
- A cool box for picnics and drinks
- A big bedding tray for seed germination
- Growing root vegetables in small spaces
- Break up to aid drainage in plant pots
- Homemade chick brooder
More Ideas
- Homemade food hampers for friends at Christmas
- For freezer contents during defrost or house move
- Chick, snake and reptile egg incubators
- A homemade hedgehog house
Reuse ideas for polystyrene boxes!
- A cool box for picnics and drinks
- A big bedding tray for seed germination
- Growing root vegetables in small spaces
- Break up to aid drainage in plant pots
- Homemade chick brooder
More Ideas
- Homemade food hampers for friends at Christmas
- For freezer contents during defrost or house move
- Chick, snake and reptile egg incubators
- A homemade hedgehog house
Case Studies
Hot Food for the Homeless with the Help of EPS Food Boxes
Unite 4 Homeless serves over 75 hot meals each week in Birmingham. Learn how EPS food boxes from JB Packaging help keep meals warm and ready to serve.
Polystyrene Recycling – Giving EPS a Second Life
EPS is fully recyclable. From compacting into pellets to granulation back into new packaging, discover how polystyrene recycling works and see our infographic that explains the process.
Sustainability Benefits of EPS
Resource efficient
Expanded Foams like EPS demonstrate an efficient use of natural resource. The manufacturing process uses very little energy and it only takes steam and pressure to fuse the aerated beads together.
Keeping your warm
Throughout the building industry EPS insulates keeping our homes warm, energy bills down and lowers emissions to ease our depletion of the earth’s natural resources.
EPS Life Cycle
EPS moulding does not pose any risk to human health or the environment. Lifecycle analysis has shown that EPS has far less of an environmental impact than other materials with the same use.
Where can polystyrene be recycled?
Unfortunately local authorities are not able to collect kerbside recycling of EPS due to the lack of required recycling infrastructure unlike paper fibre and glass. As a business we are focussed on helping to fill this gap by offering clean EPS recycling drop off points at our manufacturing sites.
There are two methods of recycling used EPS at our sites:
EPS Granulation
Lighter densities of material go through a granulator that regrinds the material back in to beads, granulate is stored in silos mixed with virgin material and dosed back into the production without any detriment to the quality of the finished EPS product. JB Packaging is part of Engineered Foam Products, we can take any clean EPS waste (including JB Packaging poly boxes), scrap and off-cuts and recycle it back into the production process in as little as 2 hours.
EPS Compacting
Densities heavier than 28g/l with minimal contamination can be compacted and turned into super dense bales that can be easily palletised and shipped more economically by lorry load. These EPS bales are then processed and converted in to clean General Purpose Polystyrene Pellets (GPPS).
Where can polystyrene be recycled?
Unfortunately local authorities are not able to collect kerbside recycling of EPS due to the lack of required recycling infrastructure unlike paper fibre and glass. As a business we are focussed on helping to fill this gap by offering clean EPS recycling drop off points at our manufacturing sites.
There are two methods of recycling used EPS at our sites:
EPS Granulation
Lighter densities of material go through a granulator that regrinds the material back in to beads, granulate is stored in silos mixed with virgin material and dosed back into the production without any detriment to the quality of the finished EPS product. JB Packaging is part of Engineered Foam Products, we can take any clean EPS waste (including JB Packaging poly boxes), scrap and off-cuts and recycle it back into the production process in as little as 2 hours.
EPS Compacting
Densities heavier than 28g/l with minimal contamination can be compacted and turned into super dense bales that can be easily palletised and shipped more economically by lorry load. These EPS bales are then processed and converted in to clean General Purpose Polystyrene Pellets (GPPS).
EPS Recycling: Compacting
FAQ
Our FAQs page provides quick, clear answers to common questions about our insulated box options. Whether you're shipping chilled, frozen or fresh produce, this guide helps you choose the right packaging for your business and order with confidence.
Where can I buy polystyrene boxes for chilled shipping?
You canorder polystyrene boxes online from JB Packaging, with samples available for testing and evaluation.
How long can a polystyrene box keep fish cold?
In our tests, a 6kg long EPS box kept fish below 5°C for 72 hours in cold conditions and outperformed cardboard and plastic alternatives in warm conditions too.
Is polystyrene better than waxed cardboard for shipping fish?
Yes. Polystyrene offers superior insulation, keeping contents colder for longer. In our test, it outperformed waxed cardboard by over 12 hours in warm conditions.
Can polystyrene boxes keep products below freezing?
Yes. Our data shows EPS boxes can maintain temperatures below 0°C under the right ambient conditions and with the correct cooling medium.
Are these polystyrene boxes food-safe?
Yes. EPS boxes from JB Packaging are made from food-safe materials and are widely used in seafood and fresh produce transport.
