Airpop® EPS protects temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals, insulates refrigerated food, keeps hot food hot, insulates your home, and protects delicate finished products during shipment.
Plymouth Foam wants you to know the facts about Airpop® EPS so that you can sort through misconstrued information; looking at the environmental impact of any material requires considering all the facts. We need to look at how the material functions, what are the total energy costs to produce, and how the material is recycled.
Some people claim EPS is bad for the environment but they have not taken these facts into account:
- EPS is recyclable and recycling rates are climbing especially post-consumer recycling. Chemical recycling increases the ability to recycle contaminated EPS waste. There are more paper cups than EPS foam in landfills.
- Alternatives require more energy to produce, creating an even greater environmental impact. The American Chemistry Council sponsored a study showing the environmental cost of alternatives is 4 to 5 times more.
- EPS alternatives don’t function the same. You’ll see consumers “double-cup” hot coffee in paper cups or use an extra cardboard coffee sleeve. Businesses pay higher transportation costs for heavier packing materials that lack the same cushioning and impact resistance resulting in potential damage to the finished product. Perishable food would be wasted if not for the insulating benefits of EPS.
We all want a better, cleaner environment for our children. Any change we make in our packaging, storage, and shipping solutions have consequences. We need to focus on the big picture and have the full story when we make personal and business decisions about the types of products we buy and the types of packaging we use.
Contact Plymouth Foam when you need a collaborative solution for your delicate packaging and temperature sensitive storage solutions.