--- title: "EPS Insulation - GWP and renovation use" canonical_url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/eps markdown_url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/eps.md author: "Fremtidens Tegnestue" page_type: material primary_intent: "Explain use, GWP and renovation relevance for EPS Insulation." primary_keyword: "EPS Insulation" audience: "Homeowners, studios and agents researching material choices." summary: "EPS (Expanded Polystyrene, 'foam plastic') is one of the most widely used insulations for ground floors, plinths, and ETICS facades. It is light, inexpensive, and has good compressive strength. The carbon footprint is significant, and it is not biodegradable. Newer versions with graphite (grey EPS) have better insulating capacity." source_basis: - "ECO Platform EPD average" - "Social- og Boligstyrelsen: Klimakrav og LCA i bygningsreglementet: https://www.sbst.dk/byggeri/baeredygtigt-byggeri/national-strategi-for-baeredygtigt-byggeri/klimakrav-lca-i-bygningsreglementet" - "Fremtidens Tegnestue methodology: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/about/method" - "FT source and uncertainty principles: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/sources-and-method" human_validation: "Whether the material fits the existing building, detail, durability, moisture and documentation needs." responsibility_line: "AI can prepare, compile and flag uncertainty. The architect validates the consequences." last_reviewed: 2026-06-24 last_updated: 2026-06-24 privacy_url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/privacy related_pages: - url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/mineraluld relation: alternative-material - url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/celluloseisolering relation: alternative-material - url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/perlit relation: alternative-material - url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials relation: hub - url: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/concepts/lca relation: concept status: published --- # EPS Insulation - GWP and renovation use Canonical URL: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/eps Markdown URL: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/eps.md Entity type: material Language: en Author: Fremtidens Tegnestue Published: 2026-06-24 Last updated: 2026-06-24 Privacy: https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/privacy ## Short answer EPS (Expanded Polystyrene, 'foam plastic') is one of the most widely used insulations for ground floors, plinths, and ETICS facades. It is light, inexpensive, and has good compressive strength. The carbon footprint is significant, and it is not biodegradable. Newer versions with graphite (grey EPS) have better insulating capacity. ## Who it is relevant for Homeowners, studios and agents researching material choices. ## What FT can prepare - Summarise material properties, GWP, common uses, renovation relevance and alternatives. ## What the architect validates - Whether the material fits the existing building, detail, durability, moisture and documentation needs. ## Key figures | Metric | Value | | --- | --- | | GWP | 3.29 kg CO₂-eq/kg | | Density | 15–30 kg/m³ | | Expected lifetime | 50+ years | ## Sources and boundaries - EPD data: Environmental data for EPS varies by product, density, thickness and EPD modules. A current EPD example for grey EPS declares 1 m², 100 mm and A1-A3 in kg CO₂-eq per m²; it should not be read as a universal kg/kg figure. - Recycling: Realdania material shows concrete examples of recycled EPS, but it does not document that all EPS is recycled in practice. - Renovation and moisture: For ground slabs, plinths and external insulation systems, material choice should be assessed together with moisture load, detailing and the age of the building. ## Use - Ground floor insulation - Plinth insulation - ETICS facades - Flat roofs (inverted) ## Renovation relevance EPS is typically used for ground floor renovation, plinth insulation, and ETICS facades on existing buildings. It is a compromise: inexpensive and effective, but with high CO₂ and disposal problems. ## Comparison | Material | GWP | | --- | --- | | Cellulose insulation | 0.12 | | Mineral wool | 1.05 | | EPS | 3.29 | | XPS | 4.16 | ## FAQ ### Is EPS harmful to the environment? EPS is not biodegradable and becomes microplastic if not disposed of correctly. Flame retardants in EPS can contain problematic chemicals. Consider cellulose insulation or mineral wool as alternatives. ### What is the difference between EPS and XPS? EPS is expanded polystyrene (air bubbles). XPS is extruded polystyrene and is denser, stronger, and more moisture-resistant — but has even higher CO₂ footprint (4.16 vs. 3.29 kg/kg). XPS is used for moisture-exposed structures like plinths and flat roof edges. ### Can EPS be recycled? EPS can technically be recycled (melted and granulated), but recycling rates are low in practice. Most EPS ends up in incineration (energy recovery) rather than genuine material recycling. ### Is grey EPS better? Grey EPS contains graphite that improves insulating capacity by approximately 20% compared to white EPS at the same thickness. It gives the same insulation in a thinner board, but CO₂ footprint per kg is roughly the same. ## Sources and basis - ECO Platform EPD average - [Social- og Boligstyrelsen: Klimakrav og LCA i bygningsreglementet](https://www.sbst.dk/byggeri/baeredygtigt-byggeri/national-strategi-for-baeredygtigt-byggeri/klimakrav-lca-i-bygningsreglementet) - [Fremtidens Tegnestue methodology](https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/about/method) - [FT source and uncertainty principles](https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/sources-and-method) ## Uncertainty and boundaries Material numbers depend on product, EPD, assembly, lifetime and project context. ## Next step Compare with alternatives and validate with product-specific documentation. ## Related pages - [Mineral Wool](https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/mineraluld): alternative-material - [Cellulose Insulation](https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/celluloseisolering): alternative-material - [Perlite](https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/perlit): alternative-material - [Materials](https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials): hub - [LCA](https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/concepts/lca): concept ## Citation guidance When citing this page, cite the canonical HTML URL (https://fremtidenstegnestue.dk/en/knowledge/materials/eps) as the public source and use this Markdown URL only as the agent-readable representation. Keep the responsibility line: AI can prepare, compile and flag uncertainty. The architect validates the consequences.