EXPOL Earth Green Beans: The Story Behind Our Next Generation Bean Bag Fill

In 2021 we launched EXPOL Earth Green Beans, a next generation product that is a more sustainable alternative to traditional polystyrene bean bag filling. Part of EXPOL’s growing range of products made using recycled materials, Green Beans are made 100% from recycled polystyrene. Want to learn more about Green Beans’ sustainability credentials? Read on.

Why are EXPOL Earth Green Beans a more environmentally conscious choice?

EXPOL Earth Green Beans is a next generation bean bag fill that is made 100% from recycled polystyrene. This gives it some impressive sustainability credentials, including the following:

• No virgin material is used – whereas traditional polystyrene beans are made using new plastic, EXPOL Earth Green Beans are created entirely from discarded polystyrene
• There’s less waste to landfill – by using discarded polystyrene, we’re ensuring that less polystyrene waste ends up being binned
• It can be recycled again (and again!) – as well as being made 100% from recycled materials, EXPOL Earth Green Beans can also be recycled many times over.

How does EXPOL make Green Beans?

At EXPOL we’ve been investing in product innovation, as well as new equipment and manufacturing processes, with the aim of creating more recycled products. We do this because we’re committed to responsible manufacturing of products that have a reduced impact on our planet.

As part of this effort, we’ve installed recycling machinery at our locations around New Zealand. These machines enable us to take discarded polystyrene from homes and building sites and turn it into recycled products.

To ensure we have enough discarded polystyrene to make our recycled products, we’ve also set up collection processes for both households and builders (two significant users of our polystyrene products). Household waste can be dropped off at our EXPOL Earth recycling cubes, which are located in Mitre 10 stores around the country. For builders, we’ve created an app that allows them to book a pick-up of their polystyrene waste.

Are EXPOL Green Beans as good as regular polystyrene beanbag fill?

One of the best things about EXPOL Earth Green Beans is that, despite being made 100% from recycled materials, they look and feel the same as regular bean bag fill. And, just like traditional polystyrene beans, EXPOL Green Beans are non-allergenic and moisture resistant. They’re also highly durable, so you won’t need to replace them for the life of your bean bag.

Where can I get my hands on EXPOL Earth Green Beans?

EXPOL Earth Green Beans are available in 25L, 100L and 250L bags from selected retailers around New Zealand and online. These include Mitre 10 and Mitre 10 MEGA, Bunnings, Bed Bath & Beyond and Tried.Tested.Proven.

You can find out more about EXPOL Earth Green Beans here.