Recycling EPS

 EPS: Recycling Pathways  

Mechanical recycling can process suitable, uncontaminated EPS waste for use in specified applications. Recycling outcomes depend on the waste stream, contamination levels, product design and available collection, sorting and processing infrastructure.

Mechanical recycling remains the most established and widely implemented pathway for EPS in Europe, particularly for packaging applications and clean construction cut-offs. Its use depends on the quality and availability of the collected material, as well as the requirements of the intended application.

Chemical recycling, on the other hand, aims to turn EPS waste back into its original monomers. This process can be relevant for specific, more complex EPS waste streams and may involve depollution and purification steps. Chemical-recycling technologies can complement mechanical recycling where technically and economically appropriate.

Scientific evidence supporting EPS recyclability under EU rules

These technical approaches to recycling are underpinned by a growing body of independent scientific evidence assessing how EPS performs under real regulatory conditions.

A recent peer-reviewed study conducted by the Polymer Engineering Department of the University of Bayreuth provides evidence relevant to the recyclability of expanded polystyrene (EPS) bead foams. Published in Polymer Engineering & Science, the research evaluated EPS recycling performance under conditions explicitly aligned with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

By simulating ten consecutive mechanical recycling cycles with a constant recycled content of 35% by weight, the study shows that EPS typically used in protective packaging retains its mechanical properties with only limited and predictable degradation over repeated recycling cycles. These findings bring clarity to discussions on recycled content targets and material performance, while also highlighting that achieving long-term PPWR objectives will depend not only on the intrinsic properties of EPS, but on effective sorting, advanced recycling technologies and careful control of key processing steps across the value chain.

The study confirms that, under controlled conditions, EPS can maintain functional performance across multiple recycling loops, supporting the feasibility of recycled content targets under the PPWR. It also underlines that regulatory success depends as much on collection and sorting infrastructure as on material characteristics.

Examples of EUMEPS Engagement to EPS Recyclability 

EUMEPS actively participates in European standardisation to design recycling guidelines, including consideration of end-of-life requirements for EPS products. Lifecycle assessments (LCAs) represent an important step in the process, enabling the assessment of potential environmental impacts of different recycling pathways and supporting evidence-based policy dialogue.

As a member of PolyRec, EUMEPS promotes the use of RecoTrace®, a system that allows member companies to record the volume of recycled EPS by the tonne, providing the industry with improved traceability and transparency.

EUMEPS is financing the Conversio Market & Strategy GmbH study, a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of EPS packaging over an extended period, providing the industry with data-driven guidance aligned with European environmental objectives.

EUMEPS also supports national and regional implementation initiatives such as créa-STYR in France, which aims to increase EPS packaging recycling rates through coordinated collection systems, stakeholder cooperation and optimised material recovery processes. This initiative illustrates how recycling outcomes depend on local infrastructure and collaboration across the value chain.

In Austria, EPSolutely is a collaborative project that has developed and tested a nationwide system to collect and recycle EPS, with a strong focus on construction offcuts and other more complex waste streams. Led by Fraunhofer Austria, the project combines practical logistics solutions (including a digital tool to coordinate collection) with recycling trials to demonstrate how EPS can be recovered and reintroduced into new products. The project addresses construction, demolition and packaging streams, with pilot trials assessing the conditions under which collection and recycling can operate at scale, including early management of contamination through structured take-back and sorting.

Industrial investments further strengthen the European recycling landscape. For instance, in Norway, in 2026, BEWI opened the country’s first dedicated EPS recycling facility at its insulation production site in Fredrikstad. The plant is designed to process up to 3 500 tonnes of EPS annually from locally collected insulation and packaging waste, which is mechanically recycled and reintegrated into the manufacture of new insulation products on site. The project forms part of BEWI’s wider European EPS collection and recycling activities and reflects increasing industry efforts to scale up recycling capacity in response to market demand and regulatory requirements.

In the construction sector, advanced projects such as PSLoop demonstrate how EPS insulation materials can be treated and recycled even when containing legacy flame retardants, subject to the applicable regulatory requirements and processing conditions.

Recycling: Infrastructure, Data and Collaboration

Through initiatives such as lifecycle assessments, design-for-recycling guidelines, and strategic collaborations on collection, sorting, recycling and traceability, EUMEPS supports the development of recycling systems for EPS.

Recent investments in new recycling facilities, improved collection schemes and advanced depollution technologies illustrate the development of collection and recycling capacity in Europe.

By strengthening domestic recycling capacity and keeping valuable plastic resources within Europe, the EPS value chain can support industrial resilience and the objectives of the European circular-economy framework.