Polystyrene alternatives: should you be using them?

Although it is widely perceived as unfriendly to the environment, is difficult to recycle, bulky, and has even been banned by some cities (including New York), polystyrene (and in particular expanded polystyrene or EPS) is still used by a large number of companies.

However, with renewed consumer focus on the environment and brands that can successfully convey their green credentials, there is growing consideration for the range of polystyrene alternatives for packaging.

But what are these alternatives? And are they any better for the environment? This guide aims to set out the following:

• What expanded polystyrene is
• The reasons for no longer using this material
• The foam material alternatives
• Other forms of eco-friendly packaging

Please continue reading for further information or use the table of contents below to jump to your area of interest.