in partnership with Borealis
EPS replacement collaboration
About the cup and team that are helping brands and converters find alternatives to EPS
The expanded polystyrene (EPS) replacement collaboration is a project supported by a multidisciplinary team of experts within the packaging sector. The contributors include Avient (chemical foaming agent), Bockatech (foam-tech for injection moulding), Borealis (specially modified polypropylene #5), and MCC Verstraete (#5 IML labels).
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The collaboration aims to help brands and manufacturers find recyclable, cost-effective, high-performance alternatives to EPS, which is facing an increasing number of bans worldwide.
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EPS bans worldwide
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been a popular choice for food service containers because of its low cost and thermal insulation. ​
However, many major territories, including the European Union, India and eleven US states, have banned EPS due to concerns over its negative environmental impacts.
The number of bans is also expected to grow. For example, in the US, the proposed 'Farewell to Foam Act' would stop the sale or distribution of covered expanded polystyrene products by food service providers, manufacturers, distributors or retailers at the beginning of 2026.
The NPE 2024 cup — a lightweight, low-cost, insulated, reusable and recyclable alternative to EPS
Meeting the challenge
The collaboration started with the creation of the NPE 2024 cup, which demonstrates how additives, materials, injection moulding foam-tech and labels can work together to meet the EPS replacement challenge.
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High performance — low cost
The collaboration cup is manufactured using Bockatech's patented EcoCore® foaming technology for injection moulding. This is combined with physical gas and Avient chemical foaming agents — creating cups with foam walls where the density of plastic is reduced by around 70%.
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The plastic used is a Borealis Daploy polypropylene solution (#5) specifically designed for foaming. As the MCC label is also polypropylene the whole container is easy to recycle at the end of its life.
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Containers made using the solution are food-safe and can be washed and heated in a microwave. As the focus was on cups that are replacements for EPS single-use types, the label MCC created was lower cost and suitable for fewer reuses. If greater durability is required, cups could use more durable dishwasher-proof labels.
The unique way EcoCore reduces density, with skin-foam-skin walls, means that the cup is more durable than EPS alternatives but also lighter than some popular paper cups. The low weight combined with a short manufacturing time of circa 7 seconds significantly cuts costs as well.
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As the cups are durable they can be used again if needed. Life Cycle Analysis shows that cups made with EcoCore foam technology reduce CO2 by 20–30% after two uses compared to popular paper single-use alternatives. Reuse also significantly reduces the risk of land and sea litter pollution.
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The cup is over five times stronger than a plastic cup of the same weight and offers twice the thermal insulation — keeping drinks hot and fingers cool. Insulation also helps reduce condensation and water dripping from the outside when the cup is used for ice-cold drinks.
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Many applications
Although the collaboration has focused on cups to start, the same manufacturing solution could also be used for a wide range of other food service containers, including cold drink cups requiring transparency, bowls and clamshells.
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In addition, the same solution could also be optimised and used for applications that do not traditionally use EPS, such as noodle pots, paint pails and even aerosol caps.
Collaboration team
Chemical foaming agent (CFA)
Avient's business is structured to provide operations with the specialised polymer materials, services and solutions they need. They are a premier provider of specialty polymer formulations, colour and additive systems, and packaging solutions.
EcoCore® foaming technology for injection moulding
Bockatech is a growth Greentech company that provides innovative EcoCore plastic foam manufacturing technology for injection moulding under licence to packaging manufacturers and brands. EcoCore is helping some of the world’s leading food-service and FMCG brands create more sustainable high performance yet low-cost thin-wall and reusable packaging. EcoCore creates more sustainable innovative packaging with a competitive edge for a wide range of sectors and applications, including retail food, caps / closures, food-service, paint / industrial pails and healthcare.
Daploy modified polypropylene solution for foaming (#5)
Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions and a European market leader in base chemicals, fertilizers and the mechanical recycling of plastics. We leverage our polymers expertise and decades of experience to offer value adding, innovative and circular material solutions for key industries. In re-inventing for more sustainable living, we build on our commitment to safety, our people and excellence as we accelerate the transformation to a circular economy and expand our geographical footprint.
Optimised in-mould labels
Together, MCC Verstraete, MCC Korsini and MCC Karydakis count for more than 55 years of experience in printing labels for injection molding, blow molding and thermoforming.
Our in-depth understanding of materials, innovation and sustainability has made us the world market leader, producing over 80 million in mold labels every single day for numerous segments within the packaging industry.