The impact of these two parameters is 25% lower than that of the alternatives—cardboard and reusable plastic.
Seafood industry: Polystyrene (EPS) boxes have a 25% lower environmental and socio-economic impact compared to cardboard and reusable plastic
• According to a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study by RDC Environment on major packaging systems, single-use EPS boxes are the most efficient solution for cold-chain logistics, especially as transport distances increase.
• Giuseppe Rinaldi, President of AIPE: “Scientific, objective evidence that definitively counters unfounded attacks and fake news: EPS is not only a material with unique properties but also the most sustainable solution.”
Milan, September 29, 2026 – A benchmark in the logistics of chilled seafood and the most widely used material in the sector due to its unique properties, single-use EPS boxes represent the most efficient and sustainable solution for transporting fresh fish—in terms of the environment, economics, and food safety—while simultaneously ensuring product freshness and quality. Their performance is particularly superior as transport distances increase.
This is demonstrated by the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on fish boxes in cold-chain logistics (*Comparative Sustainability Assessment of fish boxes in Europe*), conducted by RDC Environment. The study compared the performance of various packaging materials used in the seafood sector—including single-use EPS, cardboard, and reusable plastic. The analysis examines key environmental parameters—transport, thermal insulation requirements, risk of spoilage, washing, and disposal or recycling—using "1 kg of fresh fish delivered under chilled conditions" as the functional unit. EPS HAS A LOWER ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
Applying the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) methodology—in compliance with ISO 14040/44 standards and EU cost-benefit guidelines—the study highlights that the single-use EPS fish box represents the most sustainable solution across the entire value chain. Indeed, EPS shows an aggregate environmental and socio-economic impact that is 25% lower than the average values of alternatives such as cardboard and rigid plastic.
"The research highlights an important point: a product's sustainability must be evaluated across its entire life cycle and within its actual context of use," explains Giuseppe Rinaldi, President of AIPE. "In the seafood sector, where a material's ability to maintain low temperatures over long transport distances is crucial, EPS offers the best combination of environmental, economic, and food safety performance. It was already evident that sintered expanded polystyrene was the ideal technical solution for this supply chain, thanks to its unique properties. The material's market resilience in recent years is concrete proof of its indispensability, despite unfounded attacks regarding its alleged lack of sustainability—attacks often fueled by misleading information and misconceptions rather than objective data. Today, backed by scientific results, we have provided a concrete answer to this issue as well, demonstrating that these are calculated 'fake news' stories designed to undermine EPS's credibility and favor alternative materials that actually underperform in functional, technical, economic, and environmental terms. For this very reason, AIPE continues to support scientific research and an approach based on objective analysis, enabling policymakers to make the best and most informed decisions." Moreover, EPS is the lightest material for transporting fish. Its light weight drastically reduces the total truck load and, consequently, both fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.
MORE THAN JUST SUSTAINABILITY: EPS GUARANTEES FRESHNESS AND FOOD SAFETY
Fresh fish is among the foods most sensitive to temperature fluctuations and spoilage. Thanks to its extraordinary insulation properties—specifically a thermal conductivity of 0.037 W/(m·K), which is significantly lower than that of other materials (0.048 for cardboard, and 0.11 for PP or 0.35 for HDPE reusable plastic)—EPS makes it possible to reduce the amount of ice needed to maintain fish freshness, even over long distances, thereby preventing food waste and optimizing cargo loads. Single-use EPS boxes can keep fish fresh at the optimal temperature of 4°C for over six days using just 5 kg of ice, exceeding the maximum duration of distribution cycles in Europe.
Furthermore, the packaging's thermal insulation performance is crucial for ensuring hygiene and safety. Single-use EPS is a non-toxic material that does not foster microorganism growth it does not require sanitization prior to recycling.
“The analysis confirmed that EPS fish boxes—being single-use and food-contact safe—prevent hygiene and health issues associated with reuse systems. These include risks such as cross-contamination during the washing or sanitization of reusable boxes, biofilm formation, and the presence of pathogenic microorganisms like *Listeria monocytogenes*,” adds Paolo Garbagna, Vice President of Packaging at AIPE. “Preventing these issues in reusable containers requires extremely complex and costly microbiological controls, as well as proper management of wash water. For this very reason, we believe that the PPWR regulation should focus not on a packaging reuse model, but rather on adopting a more realistic and efficient system based on recovering and recycling the boxes through collection networks that are already established and active across the country. Italy has long possessed a consolidated EPS collection and recycling network: the PEPS platforms for EPS packaging recycling, distributed nationwide—many of which are AIPE member companies. This system has been operational for over twenty years, supporting the collection and recycling of EPS—a material that is easily and fully recyclable, even through multiple recovery cycles.” EPS CONFIRMS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OVER LONG DISTANCES
The unique characteristics of EPS become even more critical as transport distances increase. While EPS, cardboard, and reusable plastic perform similarly in terms of climate impact for distances up to 200 km, beyond this range, single-use EPS becomes the preferable option. It outperforms reusable crates—which require return logistics and washing, entailing additional costs and higher environmental impacts—as well as cardboard, which is disadvantaged by a greater need for ice and susceptibility to deterioration.
At distances of 1,250 km and beyond—typical for the intra-European distribution of seafood—no alternative packaging system (cardboard or reusable plastic) offers environmental benefits over EPS. EPS is the only material capable of keeping total climate and environmental costs low. In this scenario, EPS proves to be the most advantageous choice, ensuring optimal performance without compromising logistics efficiency and reducing overall environmental impact.
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AIPE (Italian Expanded Polystyrene Association) is a non-profit organization established in 1984 to promote and safeguard the image of sintered expanded polystyrene (EPS) and to foster its use and recycling in accordance with circular economy principles. AIPE’s membership comprises raw material producers (specifically expandable polystyrene)—including major European chemical companies—as well as EPS converters (producing thermal insulation boards, technical components, and materials for construction and packaging) and specialized recycling companies.
Finally, the membership also includes manufacturers of equipment for processing sintered expanded polystyrene and for producing construction systems.
At an international level, the Association represents Italy within EUMEPS, the European organization bringing together national associations of EPS producers.
Furthermore, the Association works closely with public bodies and institutions, focusing its efforts on drafting standards and protocols for the construction, packaging, and circular economy sectors.
It actively collaborates with relevant authorities to promote EPS collection and recycling. Additionally, acting as a technical partner to CORTEXA (a consortium of leading Italian companies specializing in external thermal insulation composite systems, or ETICS), it works to disseminate and foster a culture of high-quality external insulation.
The Association supports and promotes research into new recycling projects at both national and European levels; it participates in ICESP (the Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform) and is involved in effective recycling loops for specific types of products, such as fish boxes and EPS packaging. www.aipe.biz
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