Polystyrene – also known as expanded polystyrene (EPS) or Styrofoam – has traditionally been used by the seafood sector to pack and distribute fresh fish and seafood. As a material that is not only cheap and lightweight; its insulation properties mean it’s been a seafood sector packaging go-to for decades.
The news, therefore, that France will be banning polystyrene as a packaging material has to be a wake-up call for the French and wider European seafood sector. The ban in France was scheduled to be imposed from 1 January 2025, which has now been put back to 2030. However, the French seafood sector – which relies so heavily on polystyrene seafood packaging – needs to start thinking about the phase out of polystyrene packaging sooner rather than later.
Seafood packaging usage in France alone, will see tens of millions of polystyrene boxes used as packaging for the distribution of fresh fish and seafood. As a material that doesn’t biodegrade, and that requires specialist recycling, it is no surprise that France have looked to address this problem.
What is the problem with polystyrene packaging?
As a non-biodegradable material, from an environmental perspective, polystyrene packaging can be somewhat of a waste nightmare. Requiring specialist recycling, the vast amount of polystyrene packaging used within the seafood sector alone, will end up in landfill. Often becoming a burden to the end user further down the supply chain, too.
Furthermore, polystyrene is a significant contributor to marine plastics too – ultimately having an impact on marine life.
What polystyrene packaging alternatives are available for the seafood sector?
With the imminent ban on polystyrene packaging in France, the seafood sector in France – an industry that has relied heavily on polystyrene boxes over decades – needs to start thinking about phasing-out polystyrene packaging sooner rather than later. But what alternatives to polystyrene are available for seafood packaging?
Lined solid board
Lined solid board is a widely used alternative to polystyrene boxes within the seafood sector. Whilst it is viewed as a sustainable option, being lined cardboard it therefore has a dual composite composition, so like polystyrene packaging, it requires specialist recycling.
As with any packaging choice, lined solid board has its pros and cons. Whilst it is cost-effective, it does not have the same insulation properties that polystyrene does, and does not deal as well with moisture as other packaging materials.
Polypropylene
As a lightweight material, polypropylene – or correx, provides comparable insulation to polystyrene fish boxes. Without the requirement for moulding, polypropylene offers significant advantages over polystyrene when it comes to storage and transport as boxes are flat packed.
Coolseal seafood packaging – the market leading alternative to polystyrene – is not only made from polypropylene, but is already widely used across Europe and is a proven polystyrene fish box packaging alternative.
Our thoughts
Despite the ban on polystyrene packaging in France being pushed back to 2030, it is still something that should be on the radar for all those within the seafood sector. Whether you are a seafood processor or you deal with seafood wholesale, polystyrene is a material that will undoubtedly need replacing.
There are two points that remain key with the French polystyrene packaging ban:
1. Every seafood business that uses polystyrene packaging in France can’t move over all at once – there will not be the resource available for tens of millions of fish boxes to be moved away from polystyrene overnight. Our advice would be to start the move now, and ensure your supply is moved over in plenty of time.
2.If France are banning polystyrene packaging, we think it won’t be long before other countries in Europe follow suit. We have already seen plenty of businesses start the move away from polystyrene, here at Coolseal, so we believe there may well be a domino effect.
If you’d like any further information about Coolseal Seafood Packaging, get in touch today.
