EPS alternative

Packets made of expanded polystyrene have been historically used on a long-term basis to protect various types of products. However, growing prices of oil and increasing tendency towards utilization of environmentally friendly products lead to significant increase in utilization of packets made of Moulded fibre.

Moulded fibre vs. expanded polystyrene (EPS)

	Moulded fibre	EPS
Material	Made of 100 % recycled raw materials (paper)	Made of oil-based polystyrene and petrol mixture, pentane-based or carbon dioxide-based agents
Environmental aspects	Sustainable product which is fully recyclable, biodegradable and in accordance with ISO 14000 and the European Green Point standards	It is not a biodegradable material; banned in many countries
Price	Fixed prices of input raw materials ensure lower costs	Prices are closely connected with growing prices of oil
Protective properties	Excellent vibration and shock absorption	Good vibration and shock absorption
Storage and transport	Molded pulp is undemanding in terms of storage and transport capacities	Large storage areas and large vehicles needed
Heat resistance	Resistant to extreme temperatures up to approx. 200°C, all damping properties are resistant to heat	emperature affects flexibility. At low temperatures it becomes more fragile and at high temperatures its damping properties deteriorate
Electrostatic properties	Electrostatic neutral material suitable for electronic components	It is usually necessary to add antistatic agents which results in higher prices and a significant environmental impact

Comparison of storage and transport capacities:

Product dimensions	202x196x55 mm
Moulded fibre	column depth 345 mm
EPS	column depth 1650 mm

The comparison above shows that Moulded fibre needs 4.8 x less storage area than EPS.