Blog Post

5 reasons why companies are choosing Polyethylene (PE) foam profiles

Polyethylene (PE) foam packaging such as Sealed Air’s Cellu-Pro^TM are providing protective packaging for automotive components, furniture, home appliances and electronics. They are also being innovatively applied throughout the construction industry to provide insulation and padding, as well as being creatively used in leisure settings including swimming pools, gyms and exercise classes.

Here's five reasons why a variety of businesses are choosing Polyethylene (PE) foam profiles

#1

Delivering total, all-round performance

Low-density polyethylene foam profiles have a compact cell structure, making them extremely durable, lightweight and waterproof. They deliver high-performance cushioning and shock absorption to minimise product damage, while helping reduce overall pack size and weight.

In non-packaging applications, the foam profiles are beneficial for protecting worker health and safety in outdoor environments. The compact, durable and waterproof performance of Cellu-Pro^TM makes it an ideal choice for foam edge protection on scaffolding pipes on construction sites. Hard surfaces can be cushioned without obstructing workers. Resistance to rain, moisture and UV rays also protects the protective cushioning from degrading when exposed to different weather conditions.

#2

Easy to work with

Distributors and end users are choosing polyethylene foam profiles because they do not require specialist fabricators. Polyethylene (PE) foams are quick, easy and clean to cut, shape and size. They can be customised to fit specific applications, without specialist expertise. In addition, adhesive Polyethylene (PE) tapes can be easily applied to profiles to help bond them to many different materials including wood, plastic, metal, stone, glass and fabrics.

Ease and efficiencies are further improved by Sealed Air’s European network. A range of different sized and shaped profiles can be quickly shipped in the same order to distributors, enabling channel partners to effectively meet customer demand.

#3

Wide-ranging versatility

Polyethylene (PE) foam profiles are extremely versatile because they are easy to form and have a high-tensile strength. They can be easily custom-made in a range of different shapes, lengths and densities. This allows shock absorption and vibration dampening performance to be applied to protect shapes, surfaces and edges of all types.

U-shaped foam profiles can be wrapped around furniture legs to protect against surface abrasions and damage. The same shaped profile can be used to cushion the edges of expensive kitchen worktops made from quartz or granite. In these types of applications, the lightweight and compact foams prove popular as they are durable enough to protect large, cumbersome and heavy objects, without the need for high levels of packaging material.

L-shaped corner foams are used in a similar way to deliver foam edge protection for the corners of fragile objects including flat screen TVs and monitors, vehicle windscreens and homewares such as mirrors and picture frames. Foam corner profiles and foam edge guards are an effective way of protecting a product’s entire surface area and edges, while reducing overall packaging requirements.

The compact cell structure of foams also delivers thermal insulation performance and buoyancy, extending versatility beyond protective packaging applications. Polyethylene (PE) foam profiles can often be found wrapped around water pipes to reduce heat loss and increase frost protection. They are also a popular choice for flotation aids like swimming pool noodles.

#4

Cutting the costs of regulatory compliance

European-wide demand for Cellu-Pro^TM foam profiles is being driven by companies adjusting to changing packaging regulations. In some countries, including the UK and Spain, various forms of plastic packaging taxes have been introduced.

In the UK, a financial charge is applied per tonne of plastic packaging that does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic. A similar legislative measure in Spain charges per kilogram of non-recycled plastic packaging. The minimum content of at least 95% recycled material in Cellu-Pro^TM foam profiles can enable companies to reduce the costs of such taxes.

Other European countries are planning similar measures. In Italy, for example, a tax is scheduled for July 2026, which will apply a charge per tonne of virgin plastic. The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is also expected to introduce changes over the coming years for the minimum levels of recycled content in plastic packaging, as well as new requirements for packaging design, so that packaging weight and volume are reduced to the minimum necessary.

Legislative changes and the move towards a circular economy is driving new consideration of Polyethylene (PE) foam profiles, with these increasingly becoming first choice for their recyclability, recycled content and compact, protective performance.

#5

Supporting sustainability

In many cases, extruded foam profiles can be more sustainable than people may first think. Cellu-Pro^TM foam profiles contain a minimum of 95% recycled raw material, which is EN 15343 certified. The independent accreditation is a recognised European standard for tracking, verifying and guaranteeing the levels of recycled material used during the manufacturing of packaging.

Cellu-Pro^TM foam profiles are also compatible with mechanical recycling streams for Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). The degree of recyclability will vary according to the scope and availability of foam collection, sortation and recycling programmes. Sealed Air works with distributors and customers in different European markets to support the collection and recycling of Polyethylene (PE) foam profiles, with channel partners encouraged to contact their Sealed Air representative to find out more about local services.

The foam profiles can also help end users to reduce carbon emissions throughout supply chains by maximising protection and minimising packaging. Foam profiles are specifically designed to withstand vibrations, shocks and abrasions during storage, handling and distribution, while lowering the overall size of a packaged product. Transportation space can be optimised and damage rates reduced to support sustainability.