Good News – EPS Recycling Rates Continue To Climb

EPS recycling rates continue to trend upward. Following are some highlights.

• Over 136.8 million pounds of EPS were recycled in 2019, including 46.4 million pounds of post-consumer packaging and 90.4 million pounds of post-industrial packaging. Over the past decade EPS has achieved one of the highest recycling rates of the plastics family.
• EPS is made of 97% air and is an inert material without harmful chemicals that off-gas or leach during its use of disposal.

  • EPS represents less than 1% of the total municipal solid waste stream by weight and volume.

  • Available in a variety of custom-molded shapes, EPS containers are water resistant and hygienic with high thermal-insulating properties. Which is what makes it a common choice for shipping food throughout the world.

The EPS industry supports maintaining this trend and finding ways to make recycling easier

for consumers – and there is no question the numbers are going in the right direction!