Dynamic properties of recycled EPS foam

This article reports on the cushioning properties of EPS foams containing different levels of recycled content. The cushioning properties of these materials were found using two standard drop tests (ASTM D1596-78A and D4168-88). In these tests, the recycled-content EPS foams behaved similarly to new material in single-drop testing. In successive drops, however, the recycled-content materials showed some degradation of cushioning performance at high static loads. The 25% recycled content material had the least degradation and is the most viable candidate to replace new EPS foams in packaging applications.