by COLFAX, N.C. — Joe Grzyb, director of sustainability at EFP LLC, addressed one of the packaging industry’s biggest flashpoints: expanded polystyrene.
Speaking to industry peers at the AHFA’s 2025 Regulatory Summit last month, Grzyb acknowledged the pressure EPS faces from regulators, NGOs and consumer perception, but made a case for its continued role in protective packaging — particularly for large, damage-sensitive products like furniture and appliances.
A shifting regulatory landscape
EPS has been in use for decades, and EFP has been manufacturing it for more than 70 years. Today, however, state-level extended producer responsibility laws are reshaping the market. As Grzyb explained, California is leading the way with ambitious mandates requiring packaging to achieve a 30% recycling rate by 2028, climbing to 65% by 2032. While EPS is often “a material that NGOs love to hate,” Grzyb reminded the audience that no state has banned EPS for use in transportation packaging. Instead, the focus is on recyclability and documented recovery rates.
Grzyb noted that EPS is already meeting these thresholds in some markets. In California, recycling rates average 26%-32%, and nationwide the rate is about 31% — roughly equal to more broadly accepted plastics like PET and HDPE. “That’s not just a theoretical number,” he said. “EPS recycling is happening, and at levels comparable to other mainstream materials.”
Designing for circularity
To stay ahead of both regulation and perception, EFP and the EPS industry are embracing circular design. That means lightweight, single-material packaging that can be recovered and recycled, as well as incorporating recycled content back into new products.
Grzyb highlighted two significant advances:
- Biodegradable EPS: Standard EPS can take decades to break down, but new formulations EFP is using biodegrade up to 94% within four years — without any loss in protective or thermal performance.
- High-recycled-content EPS: EFP is already producing parts with up to 30% recycled content, and suppliers such as NexKemia and Styropek can deliver beads containing as much as 50%. For manufacturers, this means meeting future state-mandated recycled content goals years in advance.
Tackling the recycling challenge
EPS’ greatest strength — its ability to protect heavy products with very little material — also makes it difficult to recycle. A washing machine can be cushioned by less than half a pound of EPS, but that low density makes it inefficient to transport. The solution, Grzyb explained, lies in densification.
EFP and other producers are equipping facilities with densifiers that compress EPS at a 50:1 ratio, producing compact, pallet-ready logs that can be sold and reused. This approach turns EPS recovery into a profit center for retailers and distribution partners. Home Depot, for example, already collects EPS packaging from deliveries, densifies it at distribution centers and sells it into recycling markets.
EFP itself is collaborating with appliance manufacturers near its plants, capturing hundreds of thousands of pounds of EPS each year that would otherwise go to landfill. Community partners such as Goodwill are also being engaged to expand collection access, leveraging their national footprint.
Industrywide, the Polystyrene Recycling Alliance is accelerating these efforts by funding local recycling initiatives and setting ambitious targets, including a 60% EPS recycling rate within the next several years.
Life cycle realities
Grzyb also challenged the assumption that corrugated packaging is always the greener alternative. EFP’s Center of Excellence has conducted life cycle analyses comparing corrugated, hybrid and EPS packaging for large appliances. Results showed that EPS not only reduced packaging weight by up to 70% but also delivered the lowest carbon footprint of the three.
Damage rates are another factor. Switching from EPS to corrugated increases product damage risk, which in turn increases waste and emissions from replacements. For furniture and appliances, where protection is critical, EPS can actually be the more sustainable option. Electrolux, Grzyb noted, has publicly recognized EPS as the environmentally preferable choice for certain product categories.
Collaboration and transparency
Grzyb emphasized that data and collaboration will determine the future of EPS. EFP is working with NGOs, regulators and industry groups such as the U.S. Plastics Pact — even though EPS is listed on the pact’s “problematic and unnecessary” materials list. “We’re at the table,” he said, “because the only way to change perceptions is to present facts, share data and demonstrate solutions.”
EFP is also active in the Polystyrene Recycling Alliance, as well as initiatives with the World Wildlife Fund and The Ocean Conservancy. Grzyb argued that engagement, rather than defensiveness, is the way forward. “If we work together, we can push back on public perception and ensure EPS remains viable,” he said.
The path forward
Grzyb concluded by urging stakeholders — including furniture and appliance manufacturers — to see EPS in a new light. Through circular design, recycling innovation and transparent reporting, the industry can meet regulatory demands, reduce environmental impacts and maintain EPS as a cost-effective, high-performance packaging option.
“The science shows that EPS can be recycled, reused and even outperform alternatives in sustainability metrics,” Grzyb said. “The challenge now is to expand the infrastructure and work collaboratively to make circular EPS a reality.”
